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LIBRARY 

'  OF  THE 

University  of  California. 

GIFT   OK* 

Mrs.  SARAH  P.  WALSWORTH. 

Received  October,  18Q4. 
^Accessions  No.  sT7'J'j(p >      Class  No. 


1' 


1 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2007  with  funding  from 

Microsoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/bookfortimesspotOOthayrich 


A  BOOK  FOR  THE  TIMES. 


SPOTS 


FEASTS   OF  CHARITY. 


BEING  AN  EXPOSURE  OF  TIIE  DELINQUENCIES  OF  CHRISTIAN 
PROFESSORS  IN  REGARD  TO  THE  ORDINANCES  OF  RELI- 
GION AND  OTHER  AGENCIES  FOR  DOING  GOOD. 


REV.    WILLIAM    M.    THAYER, 

AUTHOR  OF  "HINTS  FOR  THE  HOUSEHOLD,"  ETC. 

WITH  AN  INTRODUCTION, 
By  JACOB  IDE,  D.  D. 


'These  are  spots  in  your  feasts  of  charity."  — Jude  12. 


BOSTON: 

PUBLISHED  BY  JOHN  P.  JEWETT  AND  COMPANY. 

CLEVELAND,  OHIO: 

JEWETT,  PROCTOR,  AND  WORTHINGTON. 


JEWETT,  TROCTC 

."-"'  1854. 


TJHIVBRSITY)) 


Ts- 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1854,  by 

John  V.  SKwzyr  axd  Company, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Massachusetts. 


STEREOTYPED   AT   THE 
BOSTON    STEREOTYPE     FOUNDRY. 


I 


PREFACE. 


"  The  ways  of  Zion  do  mourn  because  "  so  few 
w  come  to  her  solemn  feasts."  This  language  of  the 
"  weeping  prophet "  is  upon  the  lips  of  many  faith- 
ful pastors.  Neglect  of  the  ordinary  means  of  grace 
and  of  the  various  agencies  for  prosecuting  the  work 
of  Christ  is  well  nigh  universal.  The  great  body  of 
believers  seem  not  to  appreciate  the  obligations  that 
are  imposed  upon  them  in  this  regard.  They  con- 
duct as  if  it  were  entirely  a  matter  of  choice  wheth- 
er the  ordinances  of  religion  are  sustained  by  their 
presence.  Hence  the  origin  of  this  volume.  What 
the  author  has  seen  and  heard  of  the  delinquencies 

of  Christian   professors  in  relation  to  religious   or- 
es) 


4  PREFACE. 

dinances  and  other  means  of  usefulness,  as  well  as 
the  fact  that  no  work  of  such  a  character  is  before 
the  public,  suggested  the  preparation  of  this  book. 

As  the  title  indicates,  the  chief  design  of  this 
volume  is  to  expose  the  delinquencies  of  church 
members  in  respect  to  the  several  subjects  dis- 
cussed. The  only  exceptions  are  the  seventh  and 
eighth  chapters,  which  are  designed  rather  to  dis- 
cuss the  importance  of  those  agencies,  and  press 
their  claims  upon  the  Christian's  attention. 

This  work  contains  only  the  morality  of  religion ; 
and  the  reader  should  beware  that  he  does  not  sub- 
stitute this  for  religion  itself.  There  is  both  the 
form  and  the  spirit  of  godliness.  The  former  may 
exist  without  the  latter ;  but  the  latter  cannot  ac- 
tively exist  without  producing  the  former.  "While 
religion  does  not  consist  simply  in  the  observance 
of  rites,  its  genuine  life  in  the  soul  will  not  fail  to 
render  its  possessor  faithful  in  this  particular, 
Though  an  unconverted  person  may  rigidly  ob- 
serve the  means  of  grace  whose  claims  are  urged 
in  this  work,  yet  the  Christian  will  never  neglect 


PREFACE.  5 

and  forsake  them  unless  he  is  a  very  poor  repre- 
sentative of  Christianity.  There  may  be  morality 
without  religion ;  but  there  is  no  true  religion  with- 
out morality.  And  this  is  a  sufficient  defence  of 
the  plan  and  publication  of  this  volume. 

W.  M.  T. 

1# 


u  09  THK 


fTJIrIVBRSIT, 


INTRODUCTION. 


When  important  agencies  are  in  operation  for 
the  advancement  of  a  great  and  good  cause,  it  be- 
comes every  individual  to  make  himself  acquainted 
with  their  nature  and  tendency,  and  to  examine 
well  his  own  position  respecting  them.  "Whether 
those  which  are  the  subjects  of  remark  in  the  work 
before  us  meet  our  approval  or  not,  it  cannot  be 
denied  that  the  influence  which  they  are  exerting 
upon  the  cause  of -religion  at  the  present  day  gives 
them  a  just  demand  upon  our  most  serious  atten- 
tion. 

A  part  of  the  institutions  considered  in  the  pres- 
ent work  are  of  divine  appointment,  the  utility  of 
which  no  believer  in  the  Scriptures  can  question. 
"  The  church,"  "  the  prayer  meeting,"  "  public  wor- 

(7) 


8  INTRODUCTION. 

ship,"  "  the  Lord's  supper,"  "  the  missionary  enter- 
prise," are  all  either  expressly  or  impliedly  incul- 
cated in  the  word  of  God.  Nor  will  any  intelligent 
Christian  deny  the  fact  that  these  instrumentalities 
are  among  the  most  efficient  means  by  which  the 
religion  of  Christ  is  now,  and  has  been  from  the  first, 
promoted  in  the  world.  No  man  ought  to  allow  him- 
self to  remain  ignorant  of  the  nature,  the  design,  and 
the  probable  consequences  of  these  institutions,  or 
the  duties  which  devolve  on  him  in  respect  to  them. 
With  an  intimate  and  practical  knowledge  of  these 
things  must  every  man's  usefulness  and  enjoyment 
in  life  be  more  or  Jess  connected.  But  to  the  Chris- 
tian —  one  who  has  professedly  associated  himself 
with  the  church  of  Christ,  and  who  sincerely  de- 
sires to  honor  the  Savior  and  to  promote  his  cause 
in  the  world  —  this  knowledge  must  be  deemed  in- 
valuable. There  cannot  be  a  full  and  honorable 
discharge  of  the  duties  belonging  to  his  high  voca- 
tion without  it. 

As  it  respects  the  "  Sabbath  school,"  the  "  mater- 
nal association,"  the  "  missionary  sewing  circle,"  and 
other  associations  and  instrumentalities  named  in 
this  work,  if  they  are  not  autJwritatively  required 
by  the  word  of  God,  they  are  evidently  means  of 


INTRODUCTION.  H 

doing  good  which  his  providence  has  indicated,  and 
on  which  he  is  known  repeatedly  to  have  bestowed 
his  choicest  blessings.  It  is  an  error  to  suppose  that 
every  duty  binding  upon  Christians  is  expressly  in- 
culcated in  the  word  of  God.  This  could  not  be 
done  without  increasing  the  sacred  volume  to  a  size 
which  would  render  it  useless  to  the  multitude. 
The  wants  of  individuals,  the  circumstances  of  tho 
times,  the  movements  of  Providence  often  indicate 
not  only  the  usefulness  of  a  particular  measure,  but 
the  will  of  God  that  it  should  be  adopted.  The 
man  who  doubts  the  utility  of  the  "  Sabbath  school," 
the  "  maternal  association,"  or  the  "  preparatory 
lecture,"  at  this  age,  and  in  the  present  circum- 
stances of  the  world,  has  a  degree  of  scepticism  in 
his  composition,  which,  in  other  circumstances,  might 
show  itself  in  open  infidelity,  and  which  may,  even 
under  the  restraints  of  his  present  position,  yet  make 
such  developments  as  to  evince  that  he  really  has 
no  confidence  in  the  teachings  of  either  the  provi- 
dence or  the  word  of  God. 

"Without  attempting  to  decide  whether  the  asso- 
ciations above  named  are  the  best  means  which  can 
be  adopted  to  attain  the  ends  in  view  or  not,  we  may 
be  satisfied  that  they  are  instrumentalities  of  great 


10  INTRODUCTION. 

importance,  which,  while  we  know  of  no  better,  it  is 
our  duty  to  use  with  the  utmost  constancy  and  faith- 
fulness. Those  who  attend  upon  these  means  of 
moral  and  religious  improvement,  in  connection  with 
the  positive  institutions  of  the  gospel,  with  earnest- 
ness and  fidelity,  and  those  who  are  actively  en- 
gaged in  them  for  the  benefit  of  others,  are  known 
to  grow  in  grace  faster,  and  to  become  more  dis- 
tinguishing^ useful,  than  others  who  treat  them 
with  comparative  indifference  and  neglect.  The 
too  frequent  neglect  of  these  means  of  doing  and 
getting  good,  and  the  very  careless  and  faulty  man- 
ner in  which  they  are  sometimes  attended,  are  evils 
which  almost  every  pastor  is  compelled  to  witness, 
and  over  which  he  sighs  and  groans.  This  negli- 
gence, and  its  consequent  pernicious  effects  upon 
the  character  of  professors  as  well  as  others,  are 

"  SPOTS    IN     OUR    FEASTS    OF     CHARITY  "  which   OUght 

to  be  wiped  out  and  seen  no  more.  To  call  atten- 
tion to  these  delinquencies,  to  lead  the  members  of 
our  churches  to  consider  more  seriously  the  "  price 
that  is  put  into  their  hands  to  get  wisdom,"  and  to 
make  them  realize  more  fully  the  responsibility 
which  rests  upon  them  in  regard  to  the  improve- 
ment of  their  privileges,  is  the  object  of  the  work 


INTRODUCTION.  11 

now  presented  to  the  reader.  The  author  has 
thoroughly  considered  his  subjects.  He  writes  like 
one  who  has  been  called  to  meet  the  evils  which 
he  exposes,  and  has  seen  the  good  effects  of  the 
measures  which  he  recommends. 

These  discourses  are  suited  to  interest  as  well  as 
to  instruct  the  reader.  The  positions  taken  by  the 
author  are  well  sustained  by  arguments  drawn  both 
from  reason  and  Scripture,  and  happily  illustrated 
by  a  rich  variety  of  anecdotes.  The  style  in  which 
the  work  is  written  is  the  author's  own — easy,  lu- 
cid, attractive. 

Such  a  work  as  this  is  needed.  It  supplies  an 
important  place,  which  is  filled  by  no  other  within 
my  knowledge.  It  will  be  useful,  not  only  to  those 
who  have  had  many  years  of  experience  and  obser- 
vation in  the  divine  life,  but  particularly  to  young 
Christians  who  are  j  ust  entering  upon  their  course. 
It  will  aid  them  in  the  formation  of  right  habits  at 
the  beginning. 

In  a  work  like  this,  touching  upon  so  great  a 
variety  of  topics  relating  to  the  order  of  our  churches 
and  the  duties  of  individual  members,  some  things 
may  be  found  which  do  not  meet  the  views  of  every 
one.     The  author  has  expressed  his  own  convic- 


12  INTRODUCTION. 

tions  honestly  and  with  plainness,  hoping  that  they 
will  be  thoroughly  examined — adopted,  if  found  in 
accordance  with  truth ;  rejected,  if  seen  to  be  based 
upon  any  species  of  falsehood.  It  is  confidently 
believed,  however,  that  the  views  here  expressed 
will  meet  with  the  general  approval  of  evangelical 
Christians  every  where.  If  there  should  be  any 
exceptions  in  the  case,  those  who  differ  from  the 
author  will  not  find^  the  difference  so  great  as,  even 
in  their  view,  essentially  to  diminish  the  usefulness 
of  the  work.  It  is  commended  to  the  perusal  and 
the  prayers  of  all  who  love  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
with  the  earnest  desire  and  hope  that  it  may  prove 
an  important  instrumentality  of  advancing  the  great 
interests  of  his  kingdom. 

JACOB  IDE. 
Medway,  December,  1853. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER    I. 


Public  Worship.  —  Delinquencies  and  Duties  of  Christian 
Professors  relating  to. — Extract  from  Rev.  J.  A.  James. — 
The  fair-weather  Disciple.  —  The  half-day  Disciple.  —  The 
inconstant  Disciple.  —  The  tardy  Disciple.  —  The  listless  Dis- 
ciple. —  The  sleeping  Disciple.  —  Duty  demands  the  constant 
Attendance  of  professing  Christians  on  public  Worship.  — 
Countess  of  Burford.  —  Excuses  considered.  —  Slight  Indis- 
position. —  Fatigue.  —  Christian  Disciple  should  be  the  most 
attentive  Listener.  —  Sleeping  in  Church  discussed  more 
particularly.  —  Whispering,  Heading,  and  kindred  Misde- 
meanors in  Service  Time, 19 


CHAPTER    II. 

Prayer  Meeting.  —  Observed  by  different  Denominations.  — 
Not  subject  of  direct  Commandment.  —  Small  Attendance 
upon.  —  Statistics.  —  Incongruity  between  Profession  and 
Practice  in  this  Respect.  —  Excuses  considered.  —  Distance 
from  Place  of  Prayer. —  Family  Cares. —Pressure  of  Busi- 
2  (W> 


14  CONTENTS. 

ness.  —  Fatigue.  —  Cannot  take  active  Part.  —  Meetings  are 
dull  and  uninteresting.  —  Hostility  to  the  Pastor.  —  Habit.  — 
Not  unpopular  to  stay  away.  —  Good  Plan  for  Members  de- 
tained to  devote  a  Portion  of  the  same  Hour  to  Prayer.  — 
Sabbath  Evening  Prayer  Meeting.  —  Neglecting.  Prayer 
Meeting  not  Proof  of  Hypocrisy. — Thomas  Absent  from 
Prayer  Meeting.  —  The  Prayer  Meeting  needs  you.  —  You 
need  the  Prayer  Meeting, 37 


CHAPTER    III. 

Church  Meeting.  —  Custom  of  Churches.  —  Object  of  this 
Meeting  twofold:  1.  Business;  2.  Devotional  Exercises. — 
Importance  of.  —  Demands  Interest  of  all.  —  Non-Attend- 
ance.  —  Some  so  ignorant  of  Church  Affairs  as  not  to  know 
when  a  Brother  is  under  Discipline.  —  Important  Case  of 
Discipline  will  not  call  some  Members  to  Meeting.  —  Irre- 
sponsibility. —  Sad  Consequences  resulting.  —  Compels  a  few 
to  assume  the  Responsibility  of  doing  Business.  —  Delays 

Action  to  the  Reproach  of  Religion.  —  Church  in  B .  — 

Another  Case.  —  Often  followed  by  Difficulties  and  Strife. — 
Church  in  S .  —  Another  Case.  —  Supposed  Cases.  —  Duty- 
plain. —  Remarks  of  Rev.  Albert  Barnes, 57 

CHAPTER    IV. 

Preparatory  Lecture,  and  Lord's  Supper.  —  The  Lord's 
Supper  a  simple  Ordinance.  —  Observed  in  Remembrance  of 
Christ.  —  Men  always  sought  to  perpetuate  Memory.  —  Christ 
had  Reference  to  this  Element  of  Human  Nature.  —  His  Plan 
differs  from  that  of  Men  in  Simplicity.  —  Founded  on  Law  of 
Association.  —  How  important  and  solemn  this  Sacrament.  — 
Hence  the  Custom  of  observing  a  preparatory  Season.  — 
Communicants'  Prayer  Meeting.  —  Lecture  useful.  —  Best 
Plan  should  be  adopted.  —  Preparatory  Lecture  poorly  at- 
tended.—  Members  do  not  prepare  for  Lord's  Supper.  —  Ab- 


CONTENTS.  15 

bott's  Remarks.  —  Providence  only  should  detain  them  from 
this  Ordinance.  —  Should  not  stay  away  because  of  personal 
Difficulties  with  Members,  or  because  there  are  wicked  Per- 
sons in  the  Church.  —  "  When  they  had  sung  a  Hymn,  they 
went  out  into  the  Mount  of  Olives," 76 


CHAPTER    V. 

.Church  and  Parish. — Collision  between  them.  —  Object  of 
Parish  Organization  frequently  defeated.  —  Debts  contracted 
and  Expenses  unpaid.  —  Sanctuaries  mortgaged.  —  Some 
obliged  to  pay  more  than  their  proportional  Part.  —  Minis- 
ters' Salaries  unpaid.  —  Credit  -of  Parish  impaired.  —  Hence 
Parish  and  Church  dilatory.  —  Irresponsible.  —  Duty  of  Be- 
lievers and  Unbelievers  to  support  Gospel.  —  Parish  is  the 
Organization  of  Necessity.  —  Every  Church  Member  ought  to 
pay  his  proportional  Part.  —  Should  also  belong  to  the  Par- 
ish. —  Address  to  Young  Men.  —  Conclusion,    - 93 


CHAPTER   VI. 

Sabbath  School.  —  What  has  it  done  ?  —  What  will  it  do  ?  — 
These  Questions  answered.  —  Important  Agency  in  the  Sal- 
vation of  the  World.  —  Hence  the  Relation  of  the  Church  to 
the  Sabbath  School.  —  General  Complaints  about  Lack  of  In- 
terest in.  —  Duties  of  professing  Christians  relating  to. — 
They  themselves  should  be  Members.  —  They  should  see  that 
their  Children  are  Members.  —  Should  be  willing  to  become 
Teachers.  —  Should  pray  for  it. — Not  allow  it  to  supersede 
religious  Instruction  at  Home, 112 


CHAPTER   VII. 

Missionary  Sewing  Circle.  —  Character  of  Dorcas.  $-  Fe- 
male Influence  in  the  Missionary  Enterprise. — Benefits  of 


16  CONTEXTS. 

Sewing  Circle. — It  affords  Opportunity  for  social  Inter- 
course. —  For  intellectual  Improvement.  —  Benefits  -he  Par- 
ticipant morally  and  spiritually.  —  Furnishes  Means  to 
spread  the  Gospel.  —  Statistics  showing  Amount  contributed 
by  Sewing  Circles.  —  Three  Evils  to  avoid. — Levity  and 
Worldliness.  —  Discord.  —  Converting  Association  into  a 
Tattling  Society.  —  Appeal  to  Females. — Dorcas  a  "  Sister 
of  Charity," 131 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

Maternal  Association.  —  Power  of  Association.  —  Origin 
of  Maternal  Association.  —  Design  of  it.  —  Power  of  Moth- 
ers' Encouragement  to.  — The  Opinion  of  a  South  American 
Statesman.  —  Mothers  of  Bishop  Hall,  John  Quincy  Adams, 
Knill,  Todd,  and  Cowper.  —  Benefits  of  Maternal  Associa- 
tion. —  Creates  Sympathy  between  Mothers  thus  associated. 

—  Imparts  Knowledge  of  best  Mode  of  Parental  Discipline. 

—  Increases  Sense  of  Parental  Responsibility.  —  Makes  more 
faithful.  —  Report  of  London  Maternal  Association.  —  God 
has  blessed  this  Meeting  to  the  Salvation  of  many.  —  A  Fact. 

—  Statistics  of  Conversions  gathered  from  Reports.  —  Ap- 
peal to  Mothers, 149 


CHAPTER    IX. 

The  Missionary  Enterprise.  —  "Will  the  World  be  con- 
verted ?  —  Small  Contributions  imply  it  will  not.  —  Contribu- 
tions not  increase  in  Proportion  to  Wealth.  —  The  Pleasure 
Excursion.  —  Only  one  Half  Cent  given  daily.  —  Family  of 
Six  Hundred  Millions.  —  Few  perceive  that  giving,is  for  their 
good.  —  Little  System  in  giving.  —  Hammond,  Baxter,  Dod- 
dridge, and  others.  —  The  Shoemaker.  —  Christians  wait  to 
give.  —  Opposition  to  Agents.  —  Ingenuity  and  Effort  neces- 
sary to  obtain  a  liberal  Contribution  —  Complain  because  so 


CONTENTS. 


17 


many  Calls.  —  Some  plead  that  "  Charity  begins  at  Home." 
—  Refuse  to  give  because  of  some  Case  of  Imposition.  —  "  We 
know  not  that  the  Money  reaches  the  Heathen."  —  Some 
cry,  "  To  what  Purpose  is  this  Waste  ?  "  —  Curtailing  Contri- 
butions instead  of  Expenses.  — Some  give  only  when  cannot 
help  it.  —  The  Mite.  —  The  small  Gift,  rich  Entertainment, 
and  splendid  House. —The  selfish  Christian  praying  "Thy 
Kingdom  come."  —  Giving  a  Test  of  Piety.  —  The  burning 
Turf.  —  The  Soldier.  —  Who  is  benevolent  ?  —  Get  to  give,  .  168 


CHAPTER    X. 

Mutual  Christian  Faithfulness.  —  The  Bible  View.  — 
How  disregarded,  and  why.  —  Lack  of  moral  Courage.  — 
Fear  of  giving  Offence.  —  Little  Interest  in  spiritual  Wel- 
fare of  Church.  —  Benefits  of  this  Fidelity.  —  Inspires  Confi- 
dence in  the  faithful  Disciple.  —  Begets  Watchfulness.  — 
Spares  the  Church  much  unpleasant  Discipline.  —  Preserves 
Purity  of  Church,  and  gives  Power  over  Men.  —  Spirit  that 
ought  to  pervade  the  Church  on  this  Subject. — A  faithful 
Friend, 194 


CHAPTER    XI. 

Christian  Conduct  in  regard  to  the  foregoing  tested 
by  Prayer.  —  Prayer  in  the  Ball  Room.  —  Prayer  for  per- 
nicious Fiction.  —  For  Card  Playing.  —  For  Theatre-going. 
Rumseller's  Prayer.  —  May  go  boldly  to  Mercy  Seat  with 
innocent  Things.  —  Herein  Prayer  is  a  marked  Test  of  Chris- 
tian.  Conduct. —  The  Christian  should  not  persevere  in  a 
Course  of  Conduct  upon  which  he  cannot  invoke  the  divine 
Blessing.  —  The  Church  Member  neglecting  Public  Worship. 
—  The  Prayer-Meeting  Absentee.  —  The  Church-Meeting 
Absentee.  —  Absence  from  the  Lord's  Supper.  —  Delinquen- 
cies in  refusing  to  pay  proportional  Part,  to  contribute  gen- 


^ 


18  CONTENTS. 

erously  for  Missionary  Purposes,  and  Want  of  Fidelity,  all 
tested.  —  Contradiction  between  Prayer  and  Practice  ;  why  ? 
—  Prayer  a  Test  of  Conduct  in  regard  to  other  Things.  — 
Appeal  to  Christian  Professors. —  Conclusion, 208 

Appendix,  229 


fuiriVBBSITTj 

CHAPTER    I. 

PUBLIC  WORSHIP. 

Delinquencies  and  Duties  of  Christian  Professors  relating  to.  —  Ex- 
tract from  Rev.  J.  A.  James.  —  The  fair-weather  Disciple.  —  The 
half -day  Disciple.  —  The  inconstant  Disciple.  —  The  tardy  Disci- 
ple. —  The  listless  Disciple.  —  The  sleeping  Disciple.  —  Duty  de- 
mands the  constant  Attendance  ofprofessing  Christians  on  public 
Worship.  —  Countess  of  Burford.  —  Excuses  considered.  —  Slight 
Indisposition.  —  Fatigue.  —  Christian  Disciple  should  be  the  most 
attentive  Listener.  —  Sleeping  in  Church  discussed  more  particular- 
ly, —  Whispering t  Reading ,  and  kindred  Misdemeanors  in  Service 
Time. 

The  object  of  this  chapter  is  not  to  exhibit  the 
benefits  of  public  worship,  but  to  expose  the  delin- 
quencies and  discuss  the  duties  of  Christian  pro- 
fessors in  respect  to  attendance  thereupon.  There  is 
a  looseness  of  conduct  in  this  regard  which  poorly 
comports  with  a  religious  profession.  The  following 
remarks  of  an  English  divine*  upon  this  subject, 
though  penned  with  special  reference  to  Christians 
residing  in  the  city,  I  quote  entire,  for  their  interest, 
and  general  application  to  the  church :  "  A  general, 

*  Rev.  John  Angell  James. 

(19) 


20  TUBLIC    WORSHIP. 

regular,  and  punctual  attendance  upon  all  the  means 
of  grace  is  essential  to  the  earnestness  of  a  Chris- 
tian church.  There  is  a  wonderful  difference  in  this 
respect  in  the  various  congregations  of  professing 
Christians.  In  some  instances  you  will  see  the 
hearers  straggling  along  with  a  dull  and  careless 
look,  as  if  they  were  going  to  an  unwelcome  ser- 
vice —  dropping  into  the  place  of  worship  long  after 
the  service  has  commenced  —  looking  round  with 
vacant  stare  upon  the  congregation  —  undevout  and 
listless,  as  if  they  were  there  they  knew  nor  cared 
for  why ;  the  seats  half  empty,  and  those  that  occu- 
pied them  seemingly  neither  expecting  nor  desiring 
a  blessing  from  above.  There  is  no  earnestness 
there.  In  other  cases,  how  different !  You  will 
observe  a  stream  of  people,  just  before  the  hour 
of  service,  flowing  into  the  place,  with  a  serious, 
thoughtful,  yet  cheerful  air,  as  if  they  knew  what 
they  were  going  for,  and  that  it  was  a  solemn  yet 
gladsome  occasion.  They  take  their  seats  with  a 
composed,  collected,  devout  manner.  A  look  of  ex- 
pectation is  in  their  eye,  which  is  first  cast  towards 
the  pulpit,  as  if  they  waited  for  the  preacher,  with 
his  message  from  God,  and  then  upward  to  that  God 
who  alone  can  make  the  message  effectual.  A 
stranger,  coming  in,  is  struck  with  the  appearance 
of  earnestness  that  pervades  the  congregation,  and 
almost  involuntarily  exclaims,  '  How  dreadful  is  this 
place  !     Surely  this  is  the  house  of  God  and  the  gate 


PUBLIC    WORSHIP.  21 

of  heaven ! '  Yes  ;  and  if  he  were  to  visit  that  place, 
time  after  time,  he  would  see  the  same  scene  re- 
peated, the  same  seats  occupied  by  the  same  people, 
and  in  the  same  devout  manner.  The  earnest  hear- 
er is  the  constant  hearer,  the  punctual  hearer,  the 
devout  hearer.  There  is  a  spirit  of  indolence,  self- 
indulgence,  and  mischievous  negligence  creeping 
over  the  churches,  most  fatal  to  fervent  devotion, 
in  reference  even  to  the  Sabbath-day  attendance, 
which  is  rising  out  of  the  modern  taste  for  residing 
in  the  country.  Very  many  of  the  members  of  our 
religious  communities,  of  all  denominations,  go  but 
once  a  week  to  the  house  of  God  ;  and  this  is  on  a 
Sabbath  morning.  All  the  rest  of  the  holy  day  is 
spent  in  idleness  —  perhaps  feasting  and  lounging 
over  the  wine  through  the  afternoon  —  turning  over 
the  pages  of  a  magazine,  with  little  devotion  and  no 
profit,  in  the  evening.  If  these  persons  were  in  their 
closets,  studying  the  word  of  God*,  engaged  in  self-ex- 
amination and  prayer,  mortifying  their  corruptions  and 
invigorating  their  graces,  we  should  think  less  of  it ; 
but  is  this  their  occupation  ?  I  fear  this  love  of  ease 
is  eating  out  the  piety  of  our  churches,  and  gradual- 
ly turning  the  Sabbath  into  a  day  of  luxurious  re- 
pose, instead  of  Christian  devotion.  Modern  tastes 
are  sadly  at  war  with  modern  piety.  It  seems  as  if 
many  of  the  professing  Christians  of  the  day  were 
trying  with  how  little  attendance  upon  the  ordi- 
nances of  public  worship,  how  little  of  self-denial, 


22  PUBLIC    WORSHIP. 

and  how  little  a  public  manifestation  of  their  re- 
ligion could  satisfy  their  conscience  ;  and,  alas  !  how 
very  little  that  is  !  " 

This  somewhat  lengthy  quotation  presents,  in  the 
main,  the  object  of  this  chapter.  Although  its  poi,nts 
of  special  pungency  relate  only  to  professors  of  re- 
ligion in  metropolitan  districts,  yet,  in  regard  to 
negligence  in  attending  upon  public  worship,  they 
equally  apply  to  many  Christian  professors  in  rural 
towns. 

I  surely  need  not  spend  a  moment  in  proving  that 
it  is  the  duty  of  the  members  of  our  churches  to  at- 
tend upon  the  services  of  the  sanctuary.  Were  the 
Scriptures  wholly  silent  upon  the  subject,  and  the 
example  of  primitive  saints  foreign  to  the  question, 
still  the  countless  blessings  which  have  been  scat- 
tered far  and  wide  by  the  observance  of  public  wor- 
ship are  sufficient  to  define  the  church  member's 
duty  in  this  regard ;  for  the  professing  Christian,  if 
any  one,  ought  to  lend  his  example  and  influence  to 
whatever  is  lovely  and  of  good  report.  If  it  is  the 
duty  of  any  persons  to  support  this  ordinance  by 
constant  and  punctual  attendance,  it  certainly  is  the 
duty  of  those  who  have  voluntarily  taken  upon  them- 
selves the  vows  of  God. 

The  delinquencies  of  church  members  in  relation 
to  this  subject  are  somewhat  various.  All  delin- 
quents are  not  guilty  of  the  same  neglect.  Some 
are  negligent  in  one  way,  and  some  in  another.     In 


PUBLIC    WORSHIP.  23 

order  to  present  the  subject  fairly,  and  show  that 
the  foregoing  charges  are  not  made  without  ample 
reasons,  the  reader's  attention  is  directed  to  the  fol- 
lowing classification  of  delinquents. 

The  fair-weather  Disciple.  —  That  the  church 
embraces  members  who  seldom  think  of  worship- 
ping God  publicly  upon  a  stormy  Sabbath  is  proved 
abundantly  by  empty  pews.  The  preacher  usually 
may  determine  with  considerable  exactness,  on  the 
morning  of  a  stormy  Sabbath,  who  of  his  church 
will  not  be  present.  A  few  months'  experience  in 
the  ministry  will  make  him  quite  a  prophet  in  this 
respect ;  and  it  would  not  surprise  him  at  all  if  the 
hearers,  at  such  times,  were  the  members  of  his 
church,  and  unbelievers  only  the  absentees.  But 
the  facts  in  the  case  show  him  that  some  of  his  peo- 
ple, who  make  no  pretensions  to  piety,  are  present, 
"  rain  or  shine,"  while  some  of  his  church  are  absent. 
It  is  freely  admitted  that  a  storm  may  be  a  sufficient 
excuse  for  some  professors  to  remain  at  home ;  but, 
after  granting  all  the  exceptions  consistent  with 
Christian  propriety,  many  are  verily  guilty  in  limit- 
ing their  attendance  to  cloudless  Sabbaths.  It  is 
evident,  in  almost  every  church,  that  it  does  not  re- 
quire a  very  violent  storm  to  detain  some  of  its  mem- 
bers at  home.  There  is  not  that  conscientious  regard 
to  Christian  example,  in  this  particular,  which  ought 
to  distinguish  those  who  are  to  be  ensamples  to  the 
world. 


24  PUBLIC    WORSHIP. 

The  half-day  Disciple.  —  Domestic  cares,  im- 
paired health,  and  kindred  hinclerances  may  render 
a  half-day  visit  to  the  house  of  God  unavoidable. 
Reference  is  had  only  to  those  members  of  the 
church  who  unnecessarily  pay  but  a  half-day  service 
to  God.  Such  there  are.  They  may  be  very  care- 
ful to  attend  upon  one  service  every  Lord's  day,  and 
might  do  it  really  as  a  matter  of  conscience  ;  but  the 
neglect  of  the  other  service  does  not  appear  to  trouble 
conscience  at  all.  In  cities,  it  is  often  a  kind  of  fash- 
ion to  pay  only  morning  devotions  to  God  in  the 
sanctuary.  In  the  country  it  is  not  so  much  the 
fashion  as  it  is  a  tyrannizing  habit.  It  may  be  diffi- 
cult to  decide  which  of  the  two  is  more  sinful,  though 
it  must  be  admitted  that  the  first  is  the  more  singu- 
lar. To  subject  religion,  in  any  measure,  to  the 
control  of  custom  or  fashion  might  be  consistent 
with  the  profession  of  a  pagan,  but  is  not  with 
that  of  a  Christian.  If  it  is  important  for  any  per- 
sons that  two  services  be  observed  on  the  Sabbath, 
then  it  is  important  for  the  Christian  professor ;  and 
is  not  he,  if  any  one,  in  duty  bound  to  sustain  both 
services  by  his  presence  ? 

The  inconstant  Disciple.  —  Those  already 
named  are  inconstant;  but  we  refer  to  those  who,  fair 
weather  or  foul,  summer  or  winter,  maintain  no  order, 
system,  or  rule  in  their  attendance.  They  are  not 
periodical  hearers,  for  in  this  there  is  system  and 
order.     They  may  be  present  constantly  for  quite 


PUBLIC    WORSHIP.  25 

a  period,  then  absent  twice  as  long,  or  vice  versa. 
They  may  worship  formally  one  half  day,  then  be 
missing  three.  They  are  sometimes  absent  through 
the  day,  and  present  at  the  evening  service.  In 
short,  they  are  so  irregular  in  their  attendance  that 
no  dependence  can  be  placed  upon  them.  They  do 
not  appear  to  regard  the  public  worship  of  God  so 
much  a  duty  as  a  convenience.  Their  conduct  seems 
to  say  to  the  world,  "  The  sanctuary  is  a  very  con- 
venient place  to  visit  when  inclination  favors."  It 
deserves  to  be  gratefully  recorded  that  this  class 
numbers  less  than  the  preceding. 

The  tardy  Disciple.  —  He  may  not  be  many  min- 
utes too  late,  but  late  enough  to  disturb  the  devo- 
tions of  the  congregation.  For  a  moment,  at  least, 
all  eyes  must  be  directed  to  him,  and  a  consequent 
sensation,  if  not  a  noise,  created  through  the  house. 
Such  delinquents  do  well  to  remember  the  principle 
of  a  devoted  Christian  female,  who  replied  to  the 
inquiry,  how  she  managed,  amid  so  many  domestic 
cares  and  duties,  always  to  be  so  punctual  in  attend- 
ance upon  the  service  of  the  Lord's  house,  "  It  is  a 
part  of  my  religion  not  to  disturb  the  religion  of 
others." 

The  listless  Disciple.  —  There  is  quite  a  differ- 
ence in  the  attention  which  different  hearers  render 
in  the  sanctuary.  It  is  delightful  to  preach  to  some, 
and  a  sore  trial  to  preach  to  others.  While  many 
are  eager  to  catch  every  word  that  falls  from  the 
3 


26  PUBLIC    WOESHIP. 

preacher's  lips,  and  listen  with  profoundest  atten- 
tion, here  and  there  is  one  gazing  about  the  house, 
tumbling  the  leaves  of  a  hymn  book,  now  loun- 
ging in  a  corner  of  the  pew,  then  sitting  in  rest- 
less uprightness,  and,  on  the  whole,  apparently 
determined  not  to  hear.  Such  demeanor  in  the 
house  of  God  is  unbecoming  even  in  the  unbeliever, 
and  in  the  professing  Christian  it  is  highly  censurable. 
Yet  such  there  are  in  the  church  of  Christ.  Their 
example  we  shall  analyze  in  another  place. 

The  sleeping  Disciple. — Unavoidable  cares  and 
toils  through  the  week,  deprivation  of  nightly  rest, 
age,  and  disease  may  excuse  some  for  sleeping  in  the 
house  of  God ;  but  there  are  professing  Christians 
who  indulge  the  inclination  to  sleep  without  the 
shadow  of  an  excuse.  They  offer  no  resistance  to 
the  approach  of  the  somnolent  spell ;  they  place 
themselves  in  a  position  to  invite  the  overpowering 
stupor ;  they  yield  themselves  up  to  the  power  of 
-the  soporific  influence  as  willing  slaves ;  they  lose 
the  identity  of  hearers  in  that  of  sleepers.  Their 
appearance  is  that  of  non-interest  and  spiritual  de- 
clension. 

Such  is  a  brief,  imperfect  view  of  the  delinquen- 
cies of  professing  Christians  in  regard  to  attendance 
upon  public  worship.  The  influence  of  such  an  ex- 
ample upon  unbelievers  will  appear  as  we  proceed 
to  discuss  the  duties  of  church  members  in  relation 
to  this  subject. 


PUBLIC    WORSHIP.  27 

Duty  demands  that  church  members  should  al~ 
ivays  attend  the  Sabbath  worship.  This  should  be 
their  rule,  to  which  there  may  be  reasonable  excep- 
tions, since  there  are  exceptions  to  all  rules.  Ex- 
cuses which  are  sufficient  to  detain  the  non-profess- 
or at  home  may  not  be  sufficient  to  detain  the 
Christian.  It  does  not  become  the  latter  to  allow 
himself  to  be  controlled  by  trifling  considerations  in 
a  matter  of  so  much  importance.  He  should  have 
more  regard  to  the  influence  of  his  example.  Al- 
though religion  is  something  more  than  this  simple 
morality,  yet  that  is  a  very  poor  religion  which 
thinks  to  live  without  it.  Morality  and  religion 
beautifully  harmonize  in  the  character  of  him  whose 
heart  is  right  in  the  sight  of  God.  The  example  of 
a  Christian  so  devoted  as  the  Countess  of  Burford, 
in  regard  to  attendance  upon  public  worship,  has  a 
powerful  influence  upon  both  the  church  and  the 
world.  For  the  last  few  years  of  her  life,  the  count- 
ess was  obliged  to  ride  on  horseback  more  than  six- 
teen miles  to  her  place  of  worship ;  yet  it  is  said  of 
her,  "  Neither  frost,  snow,  rain,  nor  bad  roads  were 
sufficient  to  detain  her  at  home,  nor  to  prevent  her 
being  there  before  the  worship  began."  #  The  in- 
fluence of  her  constant  and  punctual  attendance 
upon  the  public  means  of  grace  was  apparent  on 
every  hand.     It  was  creditable  to  her  religious  pro- 

*  Arvine. 


28  PUBLIC    WORSHIP. 

fession  ;  it  was  expressive  of  sincerity  and  a  pious 
heart  in  the  view  of  numerous  beholders;  it  was 
honorable  to  religion. 

So  will  it  be  with  every  Christian  who  conscien- 
tiously observes  the  public  worship  of  God.  If  his 
seat  is  constantly  filled  in  the  house  of  God,  it  is  one 
thing  towards  disseminating  a  healthful  influence  in 
the  place  where  he  resides.  It  is  one  ray  of  that 
bright  example  which  he  is  obligated  to  set.  On  the 
other  hand,  if  he  unnecessarily  absents  himself  from 
the  sanctuary,  —  if  lowering  weather,  or  a  slight  in- 
disposition, is  excuse  enough  to  detain  him  at  home 
while  some  of  his  unconverted  neighbors  are  prompt- 
ly in  their  pews,  —  it  is  a  stain  upon  his  Christian 
character,  which  tears  of  penitence  alone  can  wash 
away.  No  one  could  be  surprised  that  the  scoffer 
should  make  capital  out  of  such  a  delinquency  to 
promote  his  diabolical  aims.  No  one  could  com- 
plain if  the  unbeliever  should  say,  "  If  the  members 
of  the  church  may  innocently  plead  such  slight  ex- 
cuses for  non-attendance  upon  public  worship,  then 
may  not  I  ? " 

Certain  excuses,  often  rendered,  demand  a  more 
particular  discussion.  Weariness,  excessive  fatigue, 
in  consequence  of  the  toils  of  the  week,  sometimes 
detain  church  members  from  the  house  of  God. 
Ordinarily,  is  it  right  ?  Will  the  excuse  stand  when 
brought  to  the  test  of  Christian  principles  ?  Unhes- 
itatingly we  reply,  No !     The  circumstances  of  need 


PUBLIC    WORSHIP.  .  29 

in  which  Providence  places  a  Christian  disciple,  so 
as  to  oblige  him  to  toil  to  such  a  degree  as  to  unfit 
him  for  Sabbath  worship,  seldom  occur.  One  sev- 
enth part  of  his  time  belongs,  in  a  peculiar  sense,  to 
God.  If  he  consecrates  it  to  his  service,  even  in  the 
face  of  haggard  want,  we  believe  that  the  great 
Giver  of  all  things  will  not  leave  him  to  starvation.* 
But  the  question  which  every  Christian  needs  es- 
pecially to  settle  is,  whether  he  is  not  guilty  of  a 
moral  wrong  in  so  exhausting  his  physical  energies 
through  the  week  that  he  has  little  life  or  strength 
to  devote  to  God  upon  the  Sabbath.  Is  not  this 
converting  the  Lord's  day  into  a  recruiting  season, 
when  the  weary  body  may  become  refreshed  and 
prepared  for  worldly  duties  on  Monday  morning  ? 
In  such  instances,  is  the  Sabbath  more  than  a  con- 
venient day  for  rest  from  physical  toil,  in  order  that 
the  worldly  business  of  the  following  week  may  be 
prosecuted  with  greater  alacrity?  Is  it  any  thing 
more  than  a  sort  of  station  in  the  hurrying,  rushing 
train  of  life's  business,  where  a  stop  is  made  mainly 
to  replenish  wood  and  water  ?  If  so,  God  is  cheated 
out  of  every  moment  of  time  ;  not  an  hour  is  really 
consecrated  to  his  service  ;  for,  "  to  remember  the 
Sabbath  day  to  keep  it  holy  "  means  something  more 
than  rest  from  hard  toil  at  home.  It  signifies  an  ab- 
solute consecration  of  the  time  to  religious  purposes, 

*  See  Appendix,  A. 

3# 


30  PUBLIC    WORSHIP. 

and  nothing  else,  except  works  of  pressing  neces- 
sity. 

Brief  reference  has  been  made  to  the  fact  that 
sligltt  indisposition  is  regarded  an  excuse  by  some 
professors  of  religion  for  neglecting  tins  means  of 
grace.  This  is  an  excuse  so  common,  as  well  as 
plausible,  that  it  deserves  some  attention.  It  is 
doubtless  true  that  many  church  members  allow  a 
degree  of  illness,  which  would  not  interfere  with 
their  business  on  weekdays,  to  detain  them  from  the 
house  of  God  on  the  Sabbath.  Or  perhaps  the  same 
illness  on  any  other  day  of  the  week,  though  inter- 
rupting their  manual  labors,  would  not  interfere  with 
their  sitting  for  hours  in  the  stores  and  shops.  A 
physician,  who  has  been  in  the  medical  practice 
nearly  forty  years,  remarked  to  me,  in  substance, 
"  I  have  always  had  more  calls  upon  the  Sabbath 
than  on  any  other  day  of  the  week.  I  have  noticed, 
to  my  surprise,  that  even  Christian  people  would  be 
ailing  the  last  part  of  the  week,  yet  keep  about  their 
work  until  Sunday,  and  then  send  for  me,  because 
it  was  a  day  of  rest.  They  did  not  appear  to 
doubt  that  they  fulfilled  the  divine  commandment 
if  they  only  rested  from  their  labors."  Of  course, 
such  a  practice  cannot  be  defended  for  a  moment 
by  reason  or  Scripture.  It  is  a  downright  dese- 
cration of  the  Sabbath,  because  it  is  getting  sick 
in  their  own  time,  and  taking  the  Lord's  for  getting 


PUBLIC    WORSHIP.  31 

well.  It  is  a  deliberate  calculation  to  make  the 
most  of  weekdays  for  worldly  purposes,  to  the  vir- 
tual disregard  of  holy  time.  No  mantle  of  charity 
is  ample  enough  to  cover  such  a  sin. 

In  such  examples  as  the  above  there  is  sup- 
posed to  be  actual  sickness  that  requires  medical 
aid  ;  and  were  it  not  for  the  circumstances  in  which 
the  sickness  was  begotten,  it  would  be  no  desecra- 
tion of  the  Lord's  day.  Surely,  then,  bodily  indispo- 
sition, so  slight  as  not  to  abate  physical  labor  on 
other  days  of  the  week,  in  common  parlance,  called 
"  Sunday  sickness ,"  cannot  excuse  a  church  member 
from  public  worship.  He  as  really  fails  to  fulfil  the 
fourth  commandment  as  he  who  endures  illness  all 
the  week  in  order  to  perform  his  work,  and  seek 
medical  aid  on  Sunday. 

Again :  the  professing  Christian  ought  to  be  the  most 
attentive  listener  in  the  sanctuary.  If  one  person  is  a 
better  hearer  than  another,  that  person  ought  to  be 
the  church  member.  Unbelievers  often  go  to  the 
house  of  God  to  see  and  be  seen;  but  the  Christian 
professor  goes,  or  should  go,  to  worship  God.  Let 
others  be  as  listless  and  irreverent  as  they  may,  he 
should  be  alive  to  the  solemn  import  of  sanctuary 
duties.  That  sinners  should  be  inattentive  and  rest- 
less js  not  so  strange ;  but  that  Christ's  disciple,  pro- 
fessing a  deep  concern  in  the  gospel,  should  be 
careless  and  indifferent  when  it  is  proclaimed,  is 
stranger  than  fiction. 


32  PUBLIC    WORSHIP. 

Mark  more  particularly  the  unchristian  influence 
of  such  a  professor.  He  enters  the  house  of  wor- 
ship amid  all  the  solemnities  of  the  Lord's  day.  He 
is  there  known  as  one  who  ought,  out  of  regard  to 
Ins  profession  at  least,  to  sympathize  deeply  with 
the  preacher  in  Ins  efforts  to  save  men.  But  he  is 
manifestly  little  interested  in  the  truth  proclaimed, 
and  spends  his  time  in  a  sort  of  indifference,  inter- 
spersed with  an  occasional  manoeuvre,  such  as 
handling  a  book,  paring  finger  nails,  lounging  in 
the  pew,  and  kindred  misdemeanors.  Perhaps  he 
is  not  exactly  in  love  with  his  pastor/*  and  he  allows 
the  feeling  to  develop  itself  in  a  kind  of  indifferent, 
dissatisfied  air,  the  most  marked  feature  being  a  de- 
termination, not  to  be  interested.  Near  by  an  unbe- 
liever sits,  an  eye  witness  to  the  painful  scene,  and 
he  has  generally  intelligence  enough  to  make  his 
own  inferences.  He  is,  himself,  a  more  attentive 
and  reverent  hearer.  He  would  dread  the  reputa- 
tion of  being  listless  and  irreverent  in  the  sanctuary. 
In  this  respect  his  example  is  a  good  one  for  the  un- 
seemly professor,  described,  to  copy.  But,  while  the 
preacher  is  discussing  the  plan  of  life,  ,the  worth  of 
the  soul,  or  other  important  topics,  this  unbelieving 
hearer  reasons.  "  If  a  Christian  may  be  inattentive 
and  indifferent,  surely  a  sinner  is  quite  excusable  in 
being    a   mere   spectator  instead   of  a  v^orshipper, 

*  Appendix,  B. 


PUBLIC    WORSHIP.  33 

That  professor's  conduct  does  not  appear  to  make 
the  theme  of  the  discourse  so  important  as  the  preach- 
er declares  it  to  be.  There  must  be  some  delusion 
in  religion,  or  some  inconsistency  in  that  Christian 
disciple's  conduct."  And  who  can  wonder  at  his 
reasoning  ?  Is  it  strange  if  he  passes  some  wither- 
ing criticisms  ?  Does  not  such  demeanor  in  the  sanc- 
tuary, by  a  member  of  the  church,  furnish  occasion 
for  the  sceptic  to  hurl  his  missiles?  It  would  be 
strange  indeed  if  some  unconverted  hearer  did  not 
make  it  the  subject  of  cavilling  remark.  We  won- 
der that  it  does  not  leave  a  scarlet  stain  upon 
religion  in  the  view  of  impenitent  hearers  ;  we 
wonder  that  it  does  not  oftener  repel  them  from  re- 
flection upon  eternal  realities ;  and,  most  of  all,  we 
wonder  that  such  an  erring  professor  himself  does 
not  behold  his  inconsistency. 

Reference  has  been  had  to  the  sleeping  disciple ; 
and,  in  order  that  we  might  not  appear  to  lack  in 
charity,  it  has  been  admitted  that  excusable  in- 
stances of  it  may  occur.  The  subject  deserves  ad- 
ditional remark  concerning  the  view  which  Chris- 
tian professors  ought  to  take  of  it.  First  of  all,  the 
disciple  of  Christ  should  feel  that  it  is  not  an  unim- 
portant matter  —  that  his  example  may  become  a 
pillow  on  which  the  conscience  of  the  unbeliever 
may  slumber.  If  he  indulges  the  sentiment  that  it 
will  make  no  material  difference  with  his  influence 
whether  he  is  awake  or  asleep,  or  if  he  is  so  indif- 


34  PUBLIC    WORSHIP. 

ferent  to  the  character  of  his  example  as  not  to 
revolve  the  matter  at  all,  he  will  not  be  likely  to  op- 
pose a  strong  resistance  to  the  inclination  to  sleep. 
On  the  other  hand,  if  he  views  it  in  a  serious  light, 
this  alone  will  nerve  him  somewhat  against  the 
powerful  spell.  He  should  also  consider  how  God 
regards  unnecessary  sleep  in  his  earthly  temple. 
God  knows,  in  each  instance,  whether  it  admits  of 
a  plausible  excuse  or  not.  To  him  the  vows  of  the 
disciple  are  to  be  performed.  Hence,  when  a  Chris- 
tian enters  the  sanctuary  to  indulge  in  a  sleep  winch 
he  might  resist,  it  must  appear  peculiarly  irreverent 
in  the  sight  of  the  King  of  heaven.  If  a  person  were 
to  enter  into  the  presence  of  an  earthly  king  or  gov- 
ernor, with  the  professed  object  of  honoring  him,  it 
would  not  be  regarded  a  very  respectful  audience 
if  he  should  fall  into  deep  sleep  while  in  his  pres- 
ence. How  much  more  irreverent  is  slumber,  which 
might  be  resisted,  when  we  enter  the  place  of  wor- 
ship to  pay  our  vows  to  the  most  high  God ! 

Christian  disciples  should  study  to  learn  the  cause 
of  their  inclination  to  sleep  in  the  sanctuary.  If  the 
cause  be  excessive  toil  through  the  week,  no  rem- 
edy is  at  hand  except  to  toil  less.  If  it  be  slothful- 
ness  and  surfeiting,  then  early  rising  and  abstemi- 
ousness will  bring  relief.  If  it  be  an  unventilated 
or  an  over-heated  house,  the  remedy  is  readily  sug- 
gested. If  it  be  a  habit,  though  binding  with  fetter^ 
of  brass,  there  is  mental  and  physical  energy  enough, 


PUBLIC    WORSHIP.  35 

if  unimpaired,  to  destroy  it.  If  it  be  an  attitude  fa- 
vorable to  repose,  then  another  posture  can  easily  be 
assumed.  And  if  it  be  a  lack  of  interest  in  the 
religious  services,  then  earnest  prayer  and  self-ex- 
amination will  soon  remove  it. 

There  may  be  more  virtue  in  the  act  of  some  in 
resisting  the  stealthy  approach  of  sleep  in  the  house 
of  God  than  is  usually  supposed.  There  are  those 
who  are  always  wakeful.  In  whatever  place  they 
are,  this  intolerable  lassitude  never  steals  upon  them. 
Perhaps  Providence  has  allotted  them  a  sphere  in 
life  where  they  are  comparatively  strangers  to  care 
and  wearisome  toil ;  or,  constitutionally,  they  may 
be  better  prepared  to  render  wakeful  attention.  Of 
course,  the  virtue  of  preserving  a  wakeful  interest  in 
all  such  examples  is  far  less  marked  than  where  one 
is  compelled  to  summon  all  his  energies  to  resist  the 
drowsy  influence.  The  virtue  of  the  resistance  is 
proportioned  to  the  strength  of  the  insidious  spell. 

Need  I  add  that  whispering  and  laughing  in  the 
sanctuary  is  inconsistent  with  a  Christian  profes- 
sion ?  The  non-professor,  even,  who  thus  demeans 
himself  in  the  place  of  worship,  is  highly  censurable, 
and  much  more  the  member  of  the  church.  Need  I 
add  that  reading  even  a  religious  paper,  or  studying 
a  Sabbath  school  lesson  during  service  time,  is  a  de- 
linquency in  the  follower  of  Christ  ?  It  is  not  for 
such  an  object  that  the  sanctuary  is  reared,  or 
Christians  assemble.     It  is  well  to  be  prepared  for 


36  PUBLIC    WORSHIP. 

the  Sabbath  school ;  but  it  is  better,  far  better,  to 
neglect  it  entirely  than  to  prepare  one's  self  amid 
the  devotions  of  the  temple  of  God. 

In  conclusion,  the  whole  demeanor  of  the  follower 
of  Christ  in  the  house  of  God  should  savor  of  pro- 
found reverence.  Not  an  act  or  look  should  be  in- 
dulged which  would  indicate  a  light,  trifling  spirit, 
nor  be  unsafe  for  the  unbeliever  to  copy.  "  God  is 
greatly  to  be  feared  in  the  assembly  of  the  saints, 
and  to  be  had  in  reverence  of  all  them  that  are 
about  him." 


CHAPTER    II. 

PRAYER    MEETING. 


Observed  by  different  Denominations.  —  Not  subject  of  direct  Com- 
mandment.  —  Small  Attendance  upon.  —  Statistics.  —  Incongruity 
between  Profession  and  Practice  in  this  Respect.  —  Excuses  consid- 
ered. —  Distance  from  Place  of  Prayer.  —  Family  Cares.  —  Press- 
ure of  Business.  —  Fatigue.  —  Cannot  take  active  Part.  —  Meet- 
ings are  dull  and  uninteresting.  — Hostility  to  the  Pastor.  —  Hab- 
it. —  Not  unpopular  to  stay  aicay.  —  Good  Plan  for  Members 
detained  to  devote  a  Portion  of  the  same  Hour  to  Prayer.  —  Sab- 
bath Evening  Prayer  Meeting.  —  Neglecting  Prayer  Meeting  not 
Proof  of  Hypocrisy.  —  Thomas  Absent  from  Prayer  Meeting.  — 
The  Prayer  Meeting  needs  you.  —  You  need  the  Prayer  Meeting. 


Ever  since  the  days  of  the  primitive  church,  pro- 
fessing Christians,  of  different  denominations,  have 
seen  eye  to  eye  in  respect  to  the  meeting  for  social 
prayer  and  conference.  Congregationalists,  Episco- 
palians, Baptists,  Methodists,  Presbyterians,  and 
others  have  maintained  that  it  is  essential  to  pre- 
serve a  good  degree  of  spirituality  among  Christian 
professors.  Experience  and  observation  have  cor- 
roborated the  views  which  have  hitherto  been  pro- 
mulgated respecting  this  means  of  grace.  For 
centuries  it  has  been  apparent  that   this   meeting 

4  (37) 


38  PRAYER   MEETING. 

is  the  spiritual  pulse  of  the  church.  It  has  been 
poorly  or  well  attended,  devotional  or  formal,  dull 
or  interesting,  according  to  the  state  of  religion 
among  the  people  of  God.  If  there  is  unusual 
awakening  among  the  followers  of  Christ,  it  is  first 
manifest  in  the  place  of  social  prayer.  If  icy  cold- 
ness chills  the  hearts  of  believers,  here  the  unwel- 
come truth  is  revealed.  The  pastor  has  often  learned 
the  religious  state  of  his  church,  to  his  joy  or  sor- 
row, from  this  weekly  gathering  of  the  saints  for 
social  communion.  Hence  his  deep  solicitude  for 
the  prosperity  of  this  religious  service.  Few  know 
the  anxiety  of  his  heart  as  he  wends  his  way,  at 
evening,  to  the  place  of  prayer,  almost  fearing  to  look 
in  upon  the  assembled  number,  lest  their  paucity 
reveal  the  deadness  of  his  church.  O  that  he  might 
depend  upon  professors  of  religion  to  sustain  and 
enjoy  this  service  ! 

True,  no  direct  commandment  is  found  in  the  Scrip- 
tures concerning  this  meeting ;  neither  is  there  any 
express  commandment  to  keep  holy  the  first  day  of 
the  week,  nor  to  attend  two  services  upon  the  Sab- 
bath ;  yet  all  Christians  feel  this  to  be  their  duty, 
because  it  promotes  vital  piety,  and  is  honorable  to 
the  cause  of  Christ.  The  truth  is,  many  of  our 
plainest  duties  are  not  the  subject  of  direct  com- 
mand, but  are  to  be  inferred  from  general  principles 
laid  down  in  the  Scriptures.  "Forsaking  not  the  as- 
sembling of  ourselves  together."     "Where  two  or  three 


PRAYER   MEETING. 


39 


are  gathered  together  in  my  name,  there  am  I  in  the 
midst  of  themr  The  pious  heart  finds  no  difficulty 
in  construing  such  texts  as  these  to  favor  the  week- 
ly prayer  meeting.  It  does  not  require  more  posi- 
tive injunctions  than  these  to  define  duty  or  privi- 
lege. Admitting  that  the  Bible  does  not  contain  a 
command  or  principle  to  make  it  a  duty  to  sustain  it, 
little  can  be  said  in  favor  of  that  Christian  profess- 
or's piety  who  will  not  yield  to  the  argument  of 
'privilege.  If  it  be  not  a  fellowship  and  communion 
ample  to  promote  any  Christian's  enjoyment  to  as- 
semble with  "brethren  beloved" 

"  Before  our  Father's  throne 
To  pour  our  ardent  prayers," 

then  cold  must  be  his  affections,  and  doubtful  his 
title  to  everlasting  mansions.  We  believe  that 
every  devout  and  holy  heart  responds  to  the  hymn 
which  begins,  — 

"  Sweet  the  time,  exceeding  sweet, 
When  the  saints  together  meet, 
When  the  Savior  is  the  theme, 
When  they  join  to  sing  of  him  !  " 

A  writer  has  very  happily  said,  "  To  object  to 
meetings  that  tend  to  edification  —  to  doubt  their 
obligation  because  not  expressly  commanded  — 
demonstrates  the  low  standard  of  the  objector's  pie- 
ty; as  if  every  step  beyond  the  measured  way  were 
unwillingly  trodden,  every  farthing  above  the  stip- 
ulated payment  grudged.     The  language,  fairly  in- 


40  PRAYER   MEETING. 

terpreted,  is  this :  ■  I  cannot  find  it  in  my  heart  to 
serve  God  beyond  a  given  point ;  that  ascertained, 
all  the  rest  is  ray  own.'  And  is  this  Christian  ex- 
perience ?  Is  this  love  ?  Is  this  '  Whom  have  I  in 
heaven  but  thee?  and  there  is  none  upon  earth  I 
desire  beside  thee '  ?  Cold  indeed  must  be  the  heart 
that  can  reason  thus,  and  apply  the  stipulations  of 
worldly  policy  to  the  service  of  Him  who  loved  us 
and  gave  himself  for  us." 

Even  a  short  acquaintance  with  our  churches 
reveals  a  censurable  delinquency  on  the  part  of  their 
members  in  respect  to  the  prayer  meeting.  It  is  not 
sustained  as  it  ought  to  be.  Only  a  small  portion  of 
the  body  of  believers  in  any  community  give  it  their 
personal  support.  A  fractional  part  of  their  num- 
bers only  is  ejver  seen  at  this  service.  It  is  true, 
doubtless,  that  there  are  persons  in  our  churches 
who  have  never  attended  such  a  meeting  since  they 
first  united  with  the  body  of  Christ.  It  is  a  sad  and 
serious  charge  to  bring ;  but  we  fully  believe  it  can 
be  substantiated  by  facts  within  the  pale  of  almost 
every  church.  I  have  made  myself  familiar,  in  this 
particular,  with  the  statistics  of  several  churches, 
and  found  the  facts  to  be  as  follows :  — 

In  a  church  of  200  members,  an  average  of  about  35  at  the  prayer  meeting. 


172 

i              t< 

ti 

25 

<( 

tt 

130 

<              « 

« 

18 

tt 

(< 

300 

i              <( 

it 

50 

(C 

(C 

180 

i              u 

u 

30 

(( 

« 

120 

(              tt 

u 

40 

« 

u 

30 

U                        <( 

M 

10 

u 

(C 

500 

"             on  an  even 

Off 

when 

a 

little 

rain  was  full- 

insr 

I  counted  twelve  persons 

only. 

PRAYEU   MEETING.  41 

In  the  above  we  have  given  round  numbers,  in 
order  to  save  space  and  the  introduction  of  frac- 
tions. On  examination,  they  will  be  found  to  pre- 
sent a  fair  sample  of  the  attendance  upon  this 
means  of  grade  in  our  churches  generally.  There 
may  be  times  when  one  fourth  or  one  half  of 
the  church  members  are  present;  but  such  seasons 
are  few  and  far  between.  After  subtracting  the 
number  of  children,  non-professors,  and  members  of 
other  churches  who  are  usually  present,  the  lament- 
able truth  is  revealed,  that  in  some  churches  one 
fourth,  in  others  one  fifth,  and  in  others  one  sixth  or 
one  seventh  of  the  members  only  are  wont  to  attend. 
The  above  statistics  'show  that  small  churches  are 
best  represented  at  the  meeting  for  prayer;  that  the 
increase  in  attendance  is  not  proportioned  to  the  in- 
crease of  the  •church.  This  is  a  general  fact,  painful 
as  it  is,  as  the  true  history  of  most  churches  will 
clearly  exhibit.  None  of  these  things  ought  so  to 
be.  It  is  a  marked  dishonor  to  the  cause  we  pro- 
fess to  love.  It  is  evidence  of  a  low  state  of  piety, 
at  once  alarming  and  wicked.  It  is  calculated  to 
impress  unfavorably  our  witnesses  of  the  world. 
They  will  be  likely  to  infer,  from  this  lack  of  inter- 
est, that  there  is  a  lie  in  our  profession  or  in  our 
religion.  And  who  can  censure  them  ?  Who  can 
declare  that  they  disregard  the  rules  of  logical  de- 
duction in  their  inference  ?  Who  of  Christ's  flock 
4* 


42  PRAYER   MEETING. 

can  meet  their  cavillings,  without  grief  and  shame 
that  such  an  occasion  for  it  should  exist  ? 

Let  me  illustrate  by  reference  to  tilings  as  they 
actually  exist.  The  evening  of  the  weekly  prayer 
meeting  has  arrived.  It  is  a  pleasant  evening  even 
for  females  to  go  out.  The  deacons  are  in  their 
places  betimes,  and  Mr.  A.  and  Mr.  B.  are  not  among 
the  missing.  A  few  of  the  sisters  are  there,  with 
some  three  or  four  children,  and  several  unbelievers. 
But,  "  all  told,"  there  is  only  a  fractional  part  of  the 
church.  The  minister  sees  an  impenitent  youth 
among  the  number,  and  the  sight  rejoices  his  heart, 
until  he  reflects  upon  the  influence  it  may  have  upon 
the  youth's  mind  to  behold  so  few  professing  Chris- 
tians present.  He  fears  that  he  may  say,  "  If  saints 
do  not  value  souls  more  highly  than  this  thin  attend- 
ance indicates,  then  i"  need  not  be  alarmed  for  my- 
self." He  rises  to  read  a  hymn,  and  finds  to  his 
sorrow  that  this  aspect  of  things  contradicts  almost 
every  hymn  he  can  find.  If  he  reads  that  beautiful 
sentiment,  — 

"  My  gracious  Lord,  I  own  thy  right 
To  every  service  I  can  pay  "  — 

he  perceives  that  it  is  practically  denied  by  many  of 
his  flock,  who  might  render  God  a  service  at  the 
prayer  meeting  without  inconvenience.  Farther  on 
he  reads,- — 

"  Tis  my  delight  thy  face  to  see, 

And  serve  the  cause  of  such  a  friend." 


PRAYER    MEETING.  43 

And  is  this  the  way  to  show  it?  he  asks  himself. 
Is  this  a  true  index  of  the  "  delight "  which  be- 
lievers have  in  the  service  of  Christ  ?  Then  is  this 
sentiment  of  a  tone  too  heavenly  for  the  church,  as 
a  body,  to  sing.     Again  he  reads,  — 

"  I  would  not  breathe  for  worldly  joy 

Or  to  increase  my  worldly  goods ;  "  — 

yet  several  brethren  are  away  in  their  stores,  shops, 
counting  rooms,  and  other  places  of  business,  all 
ready  to  excuse  themselves  because  their  business  is 
so  pressing ;  thus  openly  giving  the  lie  to  the  above 
sweet  sentiment. 

No  candid  Christian  can  contemplate  the  spiritual 
aspect  of  our  churches,  as  revealed  in  the  attend- 
ance upon  the  weekly  season  of  prayer,  without 
seeing  that  the  devotional  character  of  the  poetry 
we  sing  is  far  in  advance  of  the  piety  we  possess. 
It  seems,  sometimes,  as  if  it  were  a  caricature  upon 
religion  to  sing,  — 

"  Religion  is  the  chief  concern 
Of  mortals  here  below,"  — 

when  seven  eighths  of  the  church  scarcely  think  of 
participating  in  the  exercises  of  this  social  meeting. 

It  is  readily  granted  that  good  excuses  may  exist 
for  non-attendance  upon  this  devotional  service. 
Some  of  the  more  obvious  excuses  we  shall  con- 
sider. 

The  distance  of  a  person's    residence   from 


44  THAYER   MEETING. 

the  place  of  prayer  often  detains  him  from  the 
service.  It  may  be  a  good  excuse,  especially  when 
the  meeting  occurs  in  the  evening ;  but  it  is  neces- 
sary to  regard  the  spiritual  state  of  his  mind,  in  order 
to  ascertain  the  precise  character  of  this  excuse.  If 
it  is  a  trial,  in  any  degree,  to  his  feelings  to  absent 
himself,  he  has  certainly  a  commendable  interest  in 
his  heart.-  If  his  spiritual  state  is  such  that  he  would 
attend  if  his  residence  were  less  remote,  then  it  ap- 
pears like  a  good  excuse.  His  heart  is  at  the  meet- 
ing.    Though  absent  in  body,  he  is  present  in  spirit. 

There  are  certain  questions,  however,  it  were  well 
for  such  a  Christian  to  ponder,  in  order  to  guide  him 
to  a  proper  decision.  Should  I  forget  the  distance 
to  attend  a  meeting  of  a  different  character?  If 
my  favorite  political  party  were  holding  a  series  of 
meetings,  would  the  distance  detain  me  at  home? 
Would  a  series  of  temperance  meetings,  equally 
distant,  be  sustained  by  my  presence  ?  Would  the 
anti-slavery  lecturer  induce  me  to  travel  as  far  ? 
Should  I  make  this  sacrifice  (if  such  it  may  be 
called)  to  participate  in  scenes  of  pleasure — to  be 
amused  ? 

Family  cares  is  another  excuse,  and,  with  many, 
a  sufficient  one  in  the  sight  of  God  and  man.  Says 
John  Angell  James,  "  Duties  cannot  be  in  opposition 
to  each  other.  There  is  no  religion  in  neglecting  a 
dependent  family,  and  allowing  home  to  be.  a  scene 
of  confusion,  even  though  it  be  to  attend  public  wor- 


PRAYER   MEETING.  45 

ship;  and  if  this  must  be  the  result,  judgment  and 
conscience  being  witnesses,  your  way  is  clear,  and 
the  place  of  your  duty  is  home.  But  be  quite  sure 
that  you  could  not,  by  method,  diligence,  prepara- 
tion, and  judicious  delegation,  attend  to  every  duty 
at  home,  and  yet  have  opportunity  for  one  weekly 
visit  at  the  sanctuary."  The  same  may  be  said  in 
respect  to  the  prayer  meeting. 

The  pressure  of  business  often  leaves  no  time 
for  attendance  upon  this  means  of  grace.  It  is  all 
some  Christians  can  do  to  wind  up  their  business  on 
Saturday  night,  and  be  ready  for  the  Sabbath  wor- 
ship, without  devoting  a  single  hour  of  the  week  to 
prayer  and  conference.  We  do  not  hesitate  to  affirm 
that  such  an  excuse  is  generally  unchristian.  Is  it 
not  a  Christian's  duty  to  show  to  the  world  that  re- 
ligion is  of  more  importance  than  amassing  wealth  ? 
True,  he  has  a  duty  to  discharge  at  home  in  the  sup- 
port of  his  family  ;  but  beyond  the  absolute  demands 
of  this  livelihood,  is  not  a  neglect  of  the  means  of 
grace  for  worldly  gain  a  dishonor  to  his  profession  ? 
Ought  he  not  to  regulate  his  temporal  affairs  so  as 
to  favor  his  spiritual  interests  ?  Is  he  doing  right  to 
consume  so  much  time  in  worldly  business  that  he 
cannot  meet  with  the  brethren  one  hour  in  a  week 
to  pray?  .  Ought  he  not  to  economize  his  time  so  as 
to  be  able  to  devote  a  portion  of  a  single  evening  on 
each  week  to  God?     If  all  the   saints  were   thus 


46  PRAYER   MEETING. 

taxed  by  the  calls  of  business,  what  would  become 
of  a  perishing  world  ? 

Fatigue,  in  consequence  of  the  labors  of  the  day, 
detains  many.  There  are  hard-toiling  fathers  and 
mothers  in  the  church  who  possibly  may  be  excused 
on  this  score.  We  would  not  affirm  that  such  an 
excuse  is  never  acceptable  to  Christ;  yet,  in  all  or- 
dinary circumstances,  such  inquiries  as  the  following 
may  be  raised :  Is  it  right  for  a  Christian  professor 
to  exhaust  his  energies  in  worldly  pursuits,  so  that 
he  has  no  strength  remaining  for  the  service  of  God? 
Ought  he  not  to  husband  his  energies  with  refer- 
ence to  the  weekly  service  of  God's  people?  Is 
any  other  policy  consistent  with  a  profession  of  re- 
ligion ? 

Others  absent  themselves  from  the  prayer  meet- 
ing because  they  cannot  take  an  active  part  in 
the  exercises.  They  are  modest  and  timid,  and 
distrust  their  ability  to  be  active  in  this  service. 
Then  let  their  silent  presence  encourage  the  breth- 
ren who  can  speak  and  pray.  It  is  cheering  to 
pastor  and  the  praying  members  of  his  flock  to  see 
the  brethren  attend  the  prayer  circle,  even  though 
they  are  silent.  It  is  encouraging  to  know  that  they 
love  to  be  there,  and  that  their  hearts  are  in  spiritual 
sympathy  with  those  who  do  exhort  and  supplicate. 
There  is  power  in  the  presence  of  a  mute  Christian, 
even.     He  adds  one  to  the  number;  he  helps  fill  the 


PRAYER   MEETING.  47 

vacant  seats ;  he  contributes  his  example  to  remove 
the  painful  void  which  often  exists  in  such  places  of 
devotion ;  he  disarms  the  caviller  of  a  mighty  weap- 
on ;  he  aids  in  removing  the  stigma  from  the  church, 
that  only  a  fifth  or  sixth  part  of  the  members  are  reg- 
ular attendants  upon  this  season  of  devotion.  In 
short,  he  appears  to  better  advantage  as  a  professing 
Christian,  both  to  saints  and  sinners. 

The  meetings  are  dull  and  void  of  interest. 
So  say  some  delinquent  Christians,  and  excuse 
themselves  from  attendance  on  this  ground.  It  is 
worthy  of  remark,  however,  that  this  excuse  is  gen- 
erally offered  by  those  who  seldom  take  an  active 
part  in  these  religious  exercises.  They  are  an  un- 
fortunate class,  whose  singular  natures,  too  little 
moulded  by  grace,  cause  them  to  perceive  defects 
in  almost  every  exhortation  and  prayer  they  hear. 
To  all  such,  the  following  counsel  may  be  tendered. 
If  the  meetings  are  dull  and  uninteresting,  then  at- 
tend yourselves,  take  a  part,  and  make  them  interest- 
ing. If  the  brethren  do  not  pray  or  speak  as  they 
ought,  then  furnish  them  with  an  example  worthy  of 
imitation.  Every  pious  brother  would  thank  you 
with  all  his  heart  for  such  a  beneficent  service,  and 
the  minister's  heart  would  overflow  with  gratitude. 
This  complaining  that  the  prayer  meeting  is  dull 
and  tedious,  by  one  who  never  attempts  to  make  it 
otherwise,  is  obnoxious  to  reason  and  Christian  pro- 
priety ;  for  duty  requires  that  these  persons  employ 


48  PRAYER   MEETING. 

every  energy  to  contribute  to  the  general  interest 
and  profit  of  such  gatherings. 

Disaffection  with  one  or  more  of  the  brethren, 
and  especially  with  the  pastor,  often  leads  the  church 
member  to  neglect,  and  even  utterly  to  abandon,  the 
prayer  meeting.  It  is  the  natural  consequence  of 
such  alienation  of  feeling  ;  for  he  who  fosters  such  a 
temper  of  mind  is  unfitted  to  pray  himself,  or  enjoy 
the  prayers  of  others.  If  he  were  in  the  right  him- 
self, and  possessed  the  proper  spirit,  he  would  be 
forgiving,  and  pray  for  those  who  are  in  the  wrong. 
And  certainly,  if  his  conscience  did  not  approve  his 
course,  he  con  Id  have  no  heart  to  pray.  Such  an 
individual  has  a  difficult  case  to  defend  before  God. 
Let  him  take  either  horn  of  the  dilemma,  and  he 
will  not  be  able  to  escape  censure.  If  others  are 
guilty,  so  much  the  more  need  of  praying  with  and 
for  them.  If  he  himself  is  guilty,  then  he  ought  to 
seek  forgiveness  on  his  bended  knees,  not  only  in 
his  closet,  but  in  the  meeting  for  social  prayer. 

Habit  detains  many.  They  have  no  particular 
excuse  to  present  if  interrogated  upon  this  subject. 
Perhaps  they  cannot  exactly  tell  why  they  do  not 
attend.  We  apprehend,  however,  that,  if  the  true 
reason  were  put  into  plain  English,  it  would  run 
somewhat  as  follows  :  "  We  have  staid  at  home,  and 
therefore  we  continue  to  stay  at  home."  It  is  a  very 
censurable  habit  to  form.  It  is  indicative  of  a  spir- 
itual state  of  mind  not  altogether  encouraging.     It  is 


PRAYER    MEETING.  49 

evidence  of  an  alarming  lack  of  interest,  which 
ought  to  startle  the  professor  into  spiritual  life  and 
activity ;  for  he  must  know  that  this  "dead  sea"  state 
of  mind  is,  of  all  things,  to  be  dreaded.  "  It  is  the 
still  water  which  becomes  stagnant  and  impure ;  the 
running,  moving  streams  are  always  clear.  If  you 
have  steam  machinery,  you  must  work  it,  or  it  soon 
gets  out  of  order.  If  you  have  a  horse,  you  must 
exercise  him ;  he  is  never  so  well  as  when  he  has 
regular  work.  If  you  would  have  good  bodily  health 
yourself,  you  must  exercise.  If  you  always  sit  still, 
your  body  is  sure,  at  length,  to  complain.  And  just 
so  it  is  with  the  soul.  The  active,  moving  mind  is  a 
hard  mark  for  the  devil  to  shoot  at.  Try  to  be 
always  full  of  useful  employment,  and  thus  your 
enemy  will  find  it  difficult  to  get  room  to  sow 
tares."  # 

There  is  a  class  of  less  important  reasons  which, 
cause  the  members  of  churches  to  neglect  the  meet- 
ing for  prayer,  such  as  excessively  hot  or  excessively 
cold  weather,  a  degree  of  indisposition  which  does 
not  detract  an  iota  from  the  amount  of  their  daily 
labor,  the  prospect  of  rain  or  snow,  or  an  engage- 
ment elsewhere,  which  ought  not  to  have  been 
made.  These  and  kindred  excuses,  frivolous  as 
they  are,  we  apprehend,  after  all,  make  our  prayer 
meetings  thin  and  dull. 


Ryle. 


50  PRAYER   MEETING. 

Popular  sentiment  does  not  attach  such  odium  to 
neglect  of  social  worship  as  to  the  neglect  of  public 
worship.  It  is  not  considered  disreputable  for  a 
professing  Christian  to  stay  away  from  tins  service ; 
but  if  he  habitually  absents  himself  from  the  sanc- 
tuary on  the  Sabbath  it  attaches  disgrace  to  his 
character,  and  subjects  him  to  church  discipline. 
The  followers  of  Christ  should  beware  that  the 
absence  of  this  public  odium  to  those  who  neglect 
the  prayer  meeting  does  not  influence  them  to  re- 
main at  home.  Any  such  regard  to  public  opinion, 
as  the  arbiter  of  Christian  conduct,  is  censurable  in 
the  extreme. 

That  Providence  may  frequently  detain  members 
of  the  church  from  these  devotional  seasons,  and,  in 
some  instances,  excuse  Christians  wholly  from  at- 
tendance, we  have  admitted  enough  to  show ;  but 
how  careful  ought  Christians  to  be  that  inclination 
or  desire  do  not  lead  them  to  interpret  the  designs 
of  Providence  to  favor  delinquency  and  sin !  How 
interested  should  they  be  to  act  in  accordance  with 
truth  and  duty,  that,  when  they  may  be  interrogated 
respecting  their  absence  from  the  meeting,  they  may 
be  able  to  say,  with  honest  convictions,  "  Providence 
detained  me  " ! 

We  have  often  thought  it  would  be  a  wise  policy 
for  the  members  of  our  churches  to  adopt,  when 
necessarily  detained  from  the  prayer  meeting,  to 
remember  in  secret  places  their  brothers  and  sisters 


PRAYER   MEETING.  51 

who  have  assembled.  Very  many  at  home,  in  every 
town  and  village,  might  find  a  few  moments,  during 
the  hour  which  the  brethren  have  devoted  to  prayer, 
in  which  to  commune  with  God  in  behalf  of  the 
praying  circle.  We  can  scarcely  conceive  of  a  hap- 
pier influence  than  such  a  practice  would  have  upon 
the  spiritual  condition  of  the  church.  It  would  be 
emphatically  girdling  the  to^vn  or  village  with  the 
voice  of  supplication.  It  would  give  wings  to  the 
faith  of  those  who  are  assembled  to  pray.  It  would 
present  such  a  "  strong  crying  unto  God "  as  to 
secure  the  divine  benediction. 

The  custom  prevails  with  our  churches  to  hold 
meetings  for  prayer  and  conference  upon  Sabbath 
evening.  As  what  has  been  said  already  applies 
only  to  the  weekday  prayer  meeting,  we  need  to  give 
a  passing  notice  to  this  Sabbath  evening  exercise. 
It  is  not  our  object  to  speak  of  the  propriety  or  sanc- 
tion of  this  meeting,  but  simply,  now  that  the  ser- 
vice is  very  generally  observed  by  our  churches,  to 
throw  out  some  brief  suggestions  in  relation  to  duty. 

If  a  Sabbath  evening  service  is  approved  and  held 
by  the  church,  it  ought  to  be  sustained  by  its  members. 
Their  presence,  at  least,  so  far  as  they  can  possibly 
attend,  ought  to  contribute  to  this  end.  Such  a  ser- 
vice is  more  numerously  attended  by  the  impenitent 
than  the  weekday  gathering ;  and,  of  course,  it  is 
more  important  that  it  be  well  sustained  by  a  good 
representation  of  God's  people.     If  unbelievers  find 


52  PRAYER    MEETING. 

that  the  minister  and  deacons,  with  Mr.  A  and  Mr. 
B,  are  the  only  male  members  of  the  church  pres- 
ent, while  a  hundred  or  more  of  the  impenitent  are 
there,  they  will  not  be  likely  to  think  very  highly  of 
the  religious  interest  and  concern  among  the  folio w- 
ers  of  Christ.  What  occasion,  then,  do  our  churches 
give  unbelievers  to  cavil  and  censure  !  How  small 
a  proportion  of  Christian  professors  attend  this  ser- 
vice !  After  conversation  upon  this  subject  with 
several  pastors,  I  have  found  that  the  average  at- 
tendance by  the  followers  of  Christ  does  not  much 
exceed  the  attendance  upon  the  weekday  service. 
It  is  a  state  of  things  which  cannot  be  too  quickly 
remedied.  It  is  a  serious  question,  whether  the 
influence  of  such  lack  of  interest  among  professing 
Christians,  in  the  salvation  of  the  impenitent,  does  not 
do  more  injury  than  the  efforts  of  the  few  who  sustain 
these  meetings  do  good.  Would  that  every  Christian 
might  resolve  at  once  to  bring  about  a  more  encour- 
aging and  creditable  state  of  things  !  Would  that  the 
sentiment  might  pervade  the  church  universal,  "  We 
must  abandon  the  Sabbath  evening  worship,  or  else 
cooperate  to  sustain  it "  !  Would  that  sympathy 
enough  with  faithful  pastors  existed  in  the  church  to 
excuse  them  from  this  service,  or  else  spare  them  an 
unavoidable  wear  and  tear  of  constitution  by  staying 
up  their  hands  and  encouraging  their  hearts  by  ac- 
tive cooperation  !  Then  would  the  issue  be  better, 
both  to  pastor  and  people. 


PRAYER    MEETING.  53 

It  should  not  be  inferred  from  the  foregoing  that 
a  professing  Christian  who  absents  himself  from  the 
prayer  meeting  is  a  hypocrite.  Many  good  men  are 
not  always  where  they  ought  to  be.  Inconsidera- 
tion  may  have  somewhat  to  do  with  this,  as  well  as 
moral  inertia.  Thomas,  the  doubting  but  excellent 
Christian,  was  absent  from  the  first  meeting  for 
prayer  and  conference  which  the  disciples  held  in 
Jerusalem,  on  the  evening  following  the  resurrection 
of  Christ ;  and  when  told  by  the  brethren  that  the 
Savior  was  in  their  midst,  that  they  communed 
with  him  face  to  face,  he  appeared  to  be  quite  as 
unbelieving  as  are  worldly-minded  Christians  now 
concerning  the  promise,  "  Where  two  or  three  are 
gathered  together  in  my  name,  there  am  I  in  the 
midst  of  them."  His  language  was,  "  Except  I  shall 
see  in  his  hands  the  print  of  the  nails,  and  put  my 
finger  into  the  print  of  the  nails,  and  thrust  my  hand 
into  his  side,  I  will  not  believe."  Judging  from  the 
small  portion  of  the  church  who  attend  the  weekly 
prayer  meeting  in  these  times,  we  should  infer  that 
professors  are  equally  incredulous  now  respecting 
the  spiritual  presence  of  Christ  on  such  occasions ; 
for  who  would  not  practise  much  self-denial  to  be 
present  where  the  Savior  vouchsafes  to  appear  ? 
Who  would  not  be  put  to  some  inconvenience  to 
enjoy  a  season  of  sacred  communion  with  his  Lord 
and  Master  ?  Yet  many  good  men  allow  their  un- 
belief, as  did  Thomas,  to  detain  them  from  this  re- 
5* 


54  PRAYER    MEETING. 

ligious  service.  It  is  a  stain  upon  their  Christian 
characters,  although  it  does  not  prove  that  they  are 
destitute  of  religion. 

Thomas  was  a  great  loser  on  that  occasion.  What 
would  he  not  have  given  to  have  set  his  eyes  upon 
the  Savior  after  he  had  risen  from  the  dead !  What 
a  glorious  sight  to  a  loving  disciple  —  the  face  of  Him 
who  died  and  rose  again  !  Could  professing  Chris- 
tians realize  how  much  they  lose  in  absenting  them- 
selves from  the  place  of  social  prayer,  I  am  sure 
they  would  not  require  argument  or  persuasion  to 
induce  them  to  attend.  A  jus^  appreciation  of  the 
Savior's  spiritual  presence  at  such  seasons  of  devo- 
tion would  remove  many  excuses  which  now  detain 
disciples  at  home. 

Who  can  doubt  the  jrropricty  of  the  prayer  meet- 
ing, when  Christ  sanctioned,  by  his  presence,  the 
assembly  where  Thomas  was  not?  If  any  such 
there  are  among  the  body  of  true  believers,  let  them 
come  with  us  into  the  praying  circle,  where  love 
kindles,  and  faith  wrestles  at  the  throne  of  grace, 
and  they  shall  learn  from  delightful  experience  that 
Christ  is  there.  They  will  go  away,  no  longer  doubt- 
ing whether  Christ  approves  of  such  communings  of 
spirit  and  such  comminglings  of  desire.  The  ele- 
vated tone  of  their  religious  feelings  and  sentiments 
will  be  proof  enough  of  the  Savior's  approbation. 

I  close  this  subject  with  two  remarks  to  Christian 
professors. 


PRAYER    MEETING.  55 

The  prayer  meeting  needs  you.  The  facts  pre- 
sented leave  no  room  for  doubt  in  this  regard.  Its 
prosperity  and  blessing  to  the  church  and  world 
depend  upon  your  presence  and  hearty  cooperation. 
An  orphan  never  needed  a  friend  more  than  this  oft- 
forsaken  meeting  needs  yourselves.  It  asks,  it  in- 
vites, yea,  it  implores,  your  presence.  By  the  good 
it  proffers  you,  by  the  glory  it  yields  to  God,  it  be- 
seeches you  to  come  ! 

YOU  NEED  THE  PRAYER  MEETING.       He  WHO  USSertS 

that  he  does  not  has  reached  a  height  of  self-confi- 
dence and  pride  from  which  he  will  have  a  fearful 
fall.  Not  need  the  prayer  meeting !  Then  you 
ought  to  be  translated,  Elijah-like,  to  a  world  where 
better  beings  than  dwell  on  earth  reside.  Old  or 
young,  rich  or  poor,  high  or  low,  bond  or  free,  bar- 
barian, Scythian,  Jew,  or  Greek,  you  need  the  moral 
influence  of  the  praying  assembly ;  you  need  it  at 
all  times,  and  in  all  places ;  you  need  it  whether 
your  circumstances  are  prosperous  or  adverse ;  you 
need  it  both  in  health  and  sickness ;  you  need  it 
whether  living  or  dying.  If  old,  you  need  it  to  fill 
with  peace  the  latest  hours  of  life,  and  plume  the 
spirit's  wings  for  fields  of  everlasting  joy.  If  young, 
you  need  it  to  guide  youth's  wayward  footsteps,  and 
to  create  a  love  for  the  place  of  prayer  which  will 
abide  with  you  to  the  end  of  life.  Young  professors 
of  religion  need  to  commence  their  Christian  course 


66  PRAYER    MEETING. 

by  a  scrupulous  regard  for  this  social  worship ;  for, 
as  the  beginning  is,  so,  generally,  will  be  the  end. 

We  would  utter  it  in  the  ear  of  every  Christian  in 
the  land,  You  need  the  prayer  meeting,  and  the 

PRAYER  MEETING  NEEDS  YOU  ! 


CHAPTER    III. 

CHURCH   MEETING. 

Custom  of  Churches.  —  Object  of  this  Meeting  twofold  :  1.  Business  ; 
2.  Devotional  Exercises.  —  Importance  of.  —  Demands  Interest  of 
all.  —  Non- Attendance.  —Some  so  ignorant  of  Church  Affairs  as. 
not  to  know  when  a  Brother  is  under  Discipline.  —  Important  Case 
of  Discipline  icill  not  call  some  Me?nbers  to  Meeting.  —  Irresponsi- 
bility. —  Sad  Consequences  resulting.  —  Compels  a  few  to  assume 
the  Responsibility  of  doing  Business. — Delays  Action  to  the  Re- 
proach of  Religion.  —  Church  in  B .  —  Another  Case.  —  Often 

followed  by  Difficulties  and  Strife.  —  Church  in  S .  —  Another 

Case.  —  Sujyposed  Cases.  —  Duty  plain.  —  Remarks  of  Rev.  Albert 
Barnes. 

It  is  the  custom  of  our  churches  generally  to  ob- 
serve a  monthly  meeting  for  the  transaction  of  im- 
portant business.  Some  of  our  larger  city  churches, 
however,  observe  such  a  meeting  weekly,  devoting 
a  portion  of  the  time  to  religious  services.  This  is 
called  the  church  meeting,  because  it  is  designed 
especially  for  its  members. 

The  object  of  this  meeting  may  be  considered 
twofold  :  1.  To  transact  business.  No  organization 
can  exist  without  more  or  less  business  to  be  trans- 
acted.    Every  well-ordered  church  must  have  much 

(57) 


58 


CHURCH   MEETING. 


of  it  to  do.  It  is  incident  to  its  prosperity.  And 
since  the  introduction  of  business  into  the  weekly 
prayer  meeting,  even  for  a  religious  purpose,  seems 
to  secularize  it  beyond  what  is  consistent  with  true 
devotion,  it  becomes  highly  important  to  sustain  a 
meeting  at  which  business  is  first  to  be  done  ;  then, 
all  other  meetings  may  be  strictly  religious.  2.  De- 
votional exercises.  Frequently  there  is  little  busi- 
ness to  claim  attention  at  meetings  appointed  for 
this  purpose.  In  such  cases  the  time  is  employed 
in  devotional  exercises,  as  at  the  ordinary  weekly 
service  of  prayer  and  conference.  By  this  wise  ar- 
rangement there  is  no  interruption  of  the  usual  re- 
ligious meetings,  while  this  special  gathering  of  the 
church  may  be  made  a  season  of  Christian  fellow- 
ship and  communion  with  God  when  there  is  no 
business  to  be  transacted. 

The  importance  of  such  a  meeting  to  the  church 
may  be  seen  from  the  character  of  the  business  to 
be  transacted.  It  consists  in  granting  letters  of  dis- 
mission and  recommendation  to  members,  the  exam- 
ination of  candidates  for  admission,  the  adjustment 
of  rules  and  regulations,  action  in  behalf  of  the  poor 
and  needy  in  the  church,  the  discipline  df  erring 
members,  and  such  other  business  as  circumstances 
and  unforeseen  emergencies  demand.  None  of  this 
can  be  omitted  without  inflicting  a  lasting  injury 
upon  the  church.  It  concerns  every  member.  All 
ought  to  feel  a  deep  interest  in  whatever  relates  to 


CHURCH    MEETING.  59 

the  welfare  of  the  church  to  which  they  belong. 
Hence  all  ought  to  be  interested  in  the  most  painful 
part  of  the  business  of  the  church  meeting,  even  in 
the  most  unpleasant  cases  of  discipline ;  for  it  is  a 
truth  confirmed  by  experience  and  observation,  that, 
"  whether  one  member  suffers,  all  the  members  suffer 
with  it."  If  the  hand,  or  foot,  or  eye  becomes  dis- 
eased, every  part  of  the  body  deeply  sympathizes 
with  it ;  and,  if  it  be  not  arrested,  the  disease  often 
diffuses  itself  throughout  the  entire  system.  Thus 
the  great  apostle  presents  a  familiar  physical  truth 
in  order  to  teach  a  moral  lesson  concerning  the  pros- 
perity of  the  church.  Although  he  has  particular 
reference  to  members  in  poverty,  affliction,  tempta- 
tion, and  persecution,  yet  it  is  a  fair  inference,  if  not 
a  direct  principle  involved,  corroborated  by  abundant 
facts,  that,  as  the  disease  of  a  single  member  of  the 
body  causes  all  members  to  suffer  with  it,  so  may 
the  error  or  sin  of  a  single  professor  affect  the  whole 
church ;  and,  if  not  arrested,  it  may  diffuse  itself  like 
an  insidious  disease.  Upon  this  important  fact  may 
be  based  an  appeal  to  professing  Christians  in  re- 
spect to  deep  interest  in  whatsoever  pertains  to  the 
welfare  of  each  other  and  their  respective  churches. 
A  more  weighty  consideration  cannot  engage  the  at- 
tention; a  more  reasonable  duty  cannot  be  urged. 
Another  has  said  of  the  professing  Christian,  "  He  is 
a  part  of  that  total  church  which  the  Savior  came  to 
redeem,  and  winch  is  declared  by  him  to  be  '  tho 


60  CHURCH    MEETING. 

light  of  the  world  and  the  salt  of  the  earth,'  and  to 
which  he  has  issued  the  commandment '  to  preach  the 
gospel  to  every  creature.'  Whatever  there  is  of  honor, 
of  purity,  of  truth,  of  respectability  in  the  church,  is,  in 
part,  intrusted  to  his  hands,  as  to  each  freeman  in  a 
republic  is  committed  a  portion  of  the  honor  of  his 
country,  to  each  soldier  in  an  army  a  portion  of  the 
honor  of  her  flag.  When  he  became  a  member  of 
that  church,  by  the  very  nature  of  the  transaction  a 
portion  of  its  honor  was  intrusted  to  him  ;  and  by  the 
same  transaction  he  assumed  a  portion  of  its  respon- 
sibility." *  All,  then,  should  cooperate  to  do  the 
business  which  is  incident  to  the  church  organiza- 
tion. "  The  eye  cannot  say  unto  the  hand,  I  have 
no  need  of  thee ;  nor,  again,  the  head  to  the  feet,  I 
have  no  need  of  you."  Neither  can  one  member  of 
the  church  declare  that  the  influence,  the  effort,  the 
cooperation  of  another  in  this  branch  of  Christian 
duty  is  not  wanted.  Nor,  on  the  other  hand,  can  a 
member  say  that  he  is  incompetent  to  participate 
in  transacting  important  business  for  the  church,  nor 
that  it  does  not  concern  himself,  nor  that  he  bears  no 
part  of  the  responsibility.  Reason  will  not  excuse 
him,  conscience  will  not  excuse  him,  his  covenant 
vow  will  not  excuse  him,  God  will  not  excuse  him. 
"  If  the  ear  shall  say,  Because  I  am  not  the  eye  I 
am  not  of  the  body,  is  it  therefore  not  of  the  body  ?  " 

*  Rev.  Albert  Barnes. 


CHURCH    MEETING.  61 

He  must  be  concerned  for  the  proper  adjustment  of 
all  business  relating  to  the  prosperity  of  the  church. 
How  is  it,  then,  as  to  the  facts  in  the  case  ?  Does 
the  usual  attendance  upon  the  church  meeting  indi- 
cate that  much  importance  is  attached  to  the  trans- 
action of  its  business?  The  facts  may  be  briefly 
stated.  There  is  no  meeting  of  the  church  usually 
attended  by  so  few  members,  especially  if  it  be 
known,  that  business  will  consume  most  of  the 
time.  Christians,  who  love  to  be  in  the  place  of 
prayer,  devotional  and  conscientious  disciples,  and 
especially  the  female  portion  of  the  church,  are 
not  there,  because  "  it  is  a  business  meeting"  The 
obligation  to  meet  for  prayer  and  conference  is  fully 
acknowledged,  but  not  the  obligation  to  meet  for 
the  transaction  of  necessary  business.  That  such 
is  a  common  sentiment  with  Christian  professors 
must  have  appeared  to  every  careful  observer.  Nor 
is  it  confined  entirely  to  the  church.  In  every  or- 
ganization the  same  facts  appear.  In  the  school 
district,  in  the  lyceum,  in  the  anti- slavery,  temper- 
ance, or  missionary  society,  by  far  the  smallest  at- 
tendance is  at  the  meeting  to  transact  business.  It 
sometimes  demands  a  special  effort  on  the  part  of 
some  individual  to  secure  the  attendance  of  a  number 
sufficient  to  form  a  quorum.  It  would  not  be  difficult 
to  find  instances  where  such  meetings  have  been  re- 
peatedly adjourned  in  order  to  assemble  enough  per- 
sons to  do  the  business  required.  In  the  church  there 
6 


62  CHURCH   MEETING. 

is  not  often  such  gross  negligence  as  this  ;  and  there 
ought  never  to  be  even  an  approach  to  it.  That  a 
business  meeting  is  less  interesting  to  the  active 
Christian  than  one  that  is  strictly  religious,  is  readily 
admitted.  Especially  is  this  true  of  the  female  por- 
tion of  the  church.  It  is  not  at  all  strange  that  to 
them  the  ordinary  routine  of  a  business  meeting  is 
dry  and  devoid  of  special  interest.  Still,  as  the  pros- 
perity of  the  church  requires  such  business  to  be 
done,  this  alone  ought  to  commend  it  to  every  Chris- 
tian's attention,  even  though  it  be  as  a  duty  rather 
than  a  privilege.  A  female  member  of  the  church 
is  really  as  much  concerned  for  the  happy  issue  of 
all  questions  relating  to  its  welfare  as  are  the  males. 
Hence  the  importance  of  keeping  themselves  in- 
formed in  regard  to  the  nature  and  progress  of  the 
more  important  matters,  at  least,  which  are  discussed 
at  the  church  meeting. 

In  addition  to  what  has  been  said  respecting  the 
want  of  interest  among  professing  Christians  con- 
cerning the  transaction  of  church  business,  the  fol- 
lowing facts  may  be  cited :  In  almost  every  church 
there  are  members,  both  male  and  female,  who  are 
so  poorly  acquainted  with  its  business  affair^  as 
scarcely  to  know  when  a  brother  or  sister  is  under 
discipline.  Many  important  subjects  are  discussed 
and  settled  at  the  regular  meetings  of  which  they 
are  wholly  ignorant.  One  of  the  last  interrogations 
which  they  put  to  a  fellow-disciple  relates  to  the 


CHURCH    MEETING.  C3 

business  of  the  church.  Indeed,  one  of  the  last  con- 
siderations which  occupies  the  attention  regards  the 
action  which  the  church  has  taken  about  this,  that, 
or  the  other  thing.  Even  a  case  of  trying  discipline, 
in  which  the  working  members  feel  as  if  they  should 
sink  under  the  weight  of  responsibility  and  grief 
which  the  circumstances  create,  does  not  bring  them 
out  even  to  see,  and  much  less  to  act.  Perhaps  they 
studiously  avoid  cooperation,  much  preferring  to 
leave  the  unpleasant  business  to  be  transacted  by 
others,  as  if  they  could  elude  the  responsibility  which 
their  covenant  relations  impose.  They  seem  to  think, 
or  at  least  their  conduct  indicates  such  a  sentiment, 
that  it  is  entirely  a  matter  of  choice,  rather  than  of 
duty,  whether  they  cooperate  in  administering  neces- 
sary discipline  or  not ;  in  other  words,  that  no  part 
of  the  responsibility  rests  upon  themselves  unless 
they  are  pleased  to  assume  it.  A  sad  mistake  is 
this  for  one  who  has  voluntarily  taken  upon  himself 
the  most  solemn  obligations  that  can  be  imposed 
upon  mortal  man  —  an  unwarrantable  position  for 
him  who  has  covenanted  "faithfully  to  instruct,  re- 
prove, and  admonish  its  members  tvhen  they  go  astray, 
and  meekly  to  be  instructed,  reproved,  and  admonished 
by  them  when  yourselves  do  err"  * 

The  consequences  resulting  from  this  irresponsible 
feeling  in  respect  to  the  business  of  the  church,  and 

*  The  usual  pledge  of  the  covenant. 


64  CHURCH    MEETING. 

this  non-attendance,  upon  its  business  meetings,  are 
such  as  every  true  Christian  ought  to  strive  to  avoid. 
Some  of  them  are  considered  below.   . 

First,  it  compels  a  few  members  to  assume  the  re- 
sponsibility of  doing  the  business.  However  true  it 
is  that  every  church  member  is  responsible  to  God 
in  such  matters,  yet  only  those  who  actually  trans- 
act the  business  are  generally  considered  responsi- 
ble in  the  sight  of  men.  They  have  to  share  alone 
the  censure  and  hostility  which  their  doings  may 
awaken.  They  who  stay  at  home  in  order  to  elude 
the  obligation  are  not  held  amenable  at  the  bar  of 
public  opinion.  They  are  fearfully  responsible  to 
God  for  their  non-action;  but  no  account  is  usually 
made  of  this  in  the  judgment  of  men.  The  active 
few,  who  feel  that  they  are  not  at  liberty  to  refuse 
cooperation  even  in  cases  of  discipline,  are  alone 
condemned  or  acquitted  by  the  decisions  of  the  pop- 
ular voice.  This  is  no  coveted  post  of  action  to  oc- 
cupy, especially  when  we  consider  how  easily  the 
indignation  of  at  least  a  circle  of  men  and  women  is 
excited  by  certain  kinds  of  necessary  church  action. 
No  professing  Christian  covets  such  a  responsible 
place.  Gladly  would  he  be  relieved  from  the  un- 
pleasant duty.  Gladly  would  he  be  accounted  the 
least  of  all  the  brethren,  could  he  be  excused  from 
acting  with  so  few.  But  the  necessity  is  laid  upon 
him  by  the  inexcusable  neglect  of  those  who  are  ab- 
sent.    He  must  act ;  the  cause  of  religion  and  the 


CHURCH    MEETING.  65 

honor  of  his  divine  Master  demand  it.  Is  it  right 
for  one  part  of  a  church  to  cast  so  great  responsi- 
bility upon  the  other  ?  If  the  question  had  regard 
to  the  support  of  the  gospel,  would  it  be  right  for  one 
member  to  leave  another  to  the  necessity  of  paying 
more  than  his  proper  share  while  he  himself  pays 
less  ?  No,  is  the  response  from  every  heart.  Then 
is  it  not  equally  unchristian  for  one  member  to  leave 
another  to  bear  the  responsibility  of  church  action 
when  he  ought  to  cooperate  with  him  ?  Are  we  at 
liberty  to  impose  an  undue  share  of  obligation  upon 
a  brother  in  respect  to  the  discipline  of  the  church, 
when  we  are  not  in  regard  to  the  support  of  public 
worship  ?  By  no  means.  If  it  be  unchristian  to 
cause  him  to  do  more  than  his  part  in  money,  it  is 
equally  so  to  cause  him  to  do  more  than  his  part  in 
church  action. 

Want  of  interest  in  the  church  meeting  often  de- 
lays action  so  as  to  prove  detrimental  to  the  cause  of 
Christ.  The  brethren  very  naturally  shrink  from 
transacting  important  business  when  only  a  few  of 
their  number  are  present.  They  would  avoid  the 
charge  of  acting  hastily  or  assuming  too  great  re- 
sponsibility. Delay  appears  to  them  less  hazardous 
than  immediate  action  by  a  minority  of  the  church. 
Therefore,  business  which  ought  to  be  immediately 
adjusted  is  frequently  postponed  from  month  to 
month,  until  a  larger  attendance  can  be  secured. 
Numerous  facts  might  be  cited  upon  this  point  to 
6* 


66  CHURCH   MEETING. 

corroborate  the  above.  We  will  content  ourselves 
with  the  two  following :  — 

The  church  in  the  town  of  B were  about  to 

act  upon  the  question  of  taxing  themselves  to  defray 
three  fourths  of  the  expense  of  supporting  public 
worship.  The  plan  was  suggested  in  order  to  equal- 
ize the  individual  payments,  and  thus  compel  some 
who  had  been  delinquent  to  pay  their  just  propor- 
tion. The  charge  had  been  made  by  the  world,  and 
the  church  generally  admitted  its  justice,  that  cer- 
tain of  its  members  were  more  deficient  in  this  re- 
gard than  some  unbelievers.  Several  of  the  breth- 
ren determined  many  times  over  to  introduce  the 
subject  at  the  next  church  meeting;  but  the  paucity 
of  the  members  present  deterred  them.  Thus  month 
after  month  the  subject  was  delayed,  while  yet  its 
discussion  was  intended  at  every  monthly  meeting. 
It  was  also  generally  known  that  the  subject  would 
come  before  the  church,  and  some  were  heartily  op- 
posed to  the  adoption  of  such  a  plan,  yet  they  did  not 
make  their  appearance  at  the  appointed  meetings  ; 
and  when,  at  length,  the  subject  was  fairly  before 
the  church,  action  was  postponed  because  Mr.  A  and 
Mr.  B,  who  had  spoken  to  some  member  in  opposition 
to  the  proposed  plan,  were  not  present.  It  was 
thought  unwise  to  make  a  finale  of  the  matter  until 
they  should  secure  their  attendance,  or  at  least  should 
make  an  effort  to  this  end.  Months  rolled  away, 
and  finally  the  decisive  vote  was  cast,  while  yet  a 


CHURCH    MEETING. 


67 


number,  including  one  or  two  of  the  opposers,  were 
not  present. 

In  another  church,  a  male  member  was  charged 
by  the  public  with  licentiousness,  and  little  doubt 
was  entertained,  even  by  the  most  charitable,  that 
the  charge  was  not  unjust,  although,  at  present,  defi- 
nite evidence  was  wanting.  His  character  was  con- 
sequently sadly  marred,  and  he  was  a  reproach  to 
religion  so  long  as  he  remained  in  the  church  unre- 
pentant, while  such  an  accusation  was  not  proved 
false.  The  scoffer  pointed  deridingly  to  the  church 
as  the  abode  of  such  a  sinner,  and  charged  the  faith- 
ful with  sympathy  for  the  offender  in  his  guilt,  be- 
cause they  did  not  cut  him  off  at  once  from  their 
fellowship.  Many  a  caviller  dilated,  in  places  of 
general  resort,  upon  the  prevalence  of  hypocrisy  and 
the  cheat  of  religion.  In  short,  the  whole  ungodly 
community  were  in  an  uproar  because  such  a  noto- 
rious character  was  yet  numbered  with  the  people  of 
God. 

There  was,  however,  as  already  intimated,  a  move- 
ment in  the  church.  The  accused  had  been  visited 
according  to  the  divine  injunction,  and  a  few  were 
urgent  to  bring  the  unrepentant  man  before  the 
church.  But  it  was  one  of  those  cases  in  regard  to 
which  the  best  of  men  are  likely  to  be  cautious  to  a 
censurable  degree  ;  for  he  had  wealth,  accomplish- 
ments, and  honored  ancestry  upon  his  side ;  there- 
fore,  to  many  he  was  less  approachable   than   he 


68  CHURCH    MEETING. 

would  otherwise  have  been.  Not  a  few,  who  real- 
ly desired  to  see  him  disciplined,  and  the  reproach 
wiped  away  from  the  cause  of  Christ,  were  slow  to 
act;  so  that,  after  the  individual  was  under  disci- 
pline, the  many  who  staid  away  caused  a  long  delay 
of  necessary  action.  The  few  who  assembled  at 
the  appointed  meetings  knew  that  they  were  deal- 
ing with  a  prominent  individual  in  the  community, 
whose  character,  until  recently,  was  entitled  to  re- 
spect, and  hence  they  felt  the  need  of  the  coopera- 
tion of  every  brother  in  the  unpleasant  discipline. 
In  this  way  the  case  was  before  the  church  for  a 
long  period,  postponed  from  time  to  time  in  anticipa- 
tion of  a  more  general  attendance.  All  the  while  a 
stigma  rested  upon  the  church  in  the  eye  of  a  wit- 
nessing world.  Religion  suffered  and  languished; 
Christ  was  wounded  in  the  house  of  Ins  friends ;  and 
all  because  some  professing  Christians  were  so  irre- 
sponsible in  respect  to  the  business  which  every 
church  is  obliged  to  do.  . 

The  lack  of  attendance  upon  the  church  meeting 
is  sometimes  followed  by  painful  difficulties  and  strife. 
In  other  organizations,  the  instances  are  numerous 
where  important  business  transacted  by  a  few,  even 
at  a  regular  meeting,  has  sent  disaffection  through 
the  ranks  of  the  absentees.  There  is  no  reason,  in 
ordinary  circumstances,  for  such  absentees  to  utter 
complaints  if  the  appointment  of  the  meeting  and 
the  manner  of  doing  the  business  were  not  irregular. 


CHURCH    MEETING.  69 

The  same  is  true  of  the  church.  Church  difficulties 
have  had  their  origin  here,  as  the  following  facts 
fully  attest. 

The  church  in    S adopted  a  rule  requiring 

every  member  to  join  the  parish.  It  was  done  at  a 
regular  meeting,  after  the  discussion  of  weeks  in  the 
church  and  private  circles.  There  was  no  haste 
about  the  action,  and  no  desire  to  act  when  any 
member  was  absent.  But,  although  it  was  general- 
ly known  that  the  subject  was  under  discussion  in 
the  church,  many,  including  a  good  share  of  the  op- 
posers,  could  not  be  persuaded  to  attend.  Hence 
the  numbers  in  attendance  were  forced  to  do  the 
business  themselves  if  it  were  done  at  all.  The 
result  was,  alienation  of  feeling  among  the  mem- 
bers, succeeded  by  a  long  season  of  discord  and 
strife,  while  the  rule  enacted  remained  a  dead 
letter. 

Another  church,  at  a  regular  business  meeting, 
adopted  an  unconditional  rule,  requiring  all  the 
members  to  sign  a  temperance  pledge.  It  was  not 
passed  until  the  subject  had  been  repeatedly  dis- 
cussed, and  those  who  were  opposed  to  such  a 
measure  had  been  urged  to  appear  at  the  church 
meeting.  It.  was  certainly  reasonable  that  the  op- 
posers  of  such  a  rule  should  appear  and  state  their 
objections.  If  they  would  not,  could  they  justly 
complain  of  any  action  *on  the  part  of  those  who 
composed  the  meeting  ?     SurelynoX-JCterule  was 


"4^**   Of  THE 

[UJUVBRSITY] 


70  CHURCH    MEETING. 

finally  adopted  at  a  meeting  sparsely  attended,  and 
adopted  then  for  the  very  good  reason  that  a  larger 
attendance  could  not  be  secured.  But  grave  charges 
were  alleged  against  those  who  assumed  the  respon- 
sibility of  said  action,  and  not  a  little  discord  marred 
the  harmony  which  had  hitherto  prevailed.  Not- 
withstanding the  above-named  precautions  had  been 
taken,  many  insisted  that  the  rule  was  adopted  at  a 
meeting  when  a  few  only  were  present,  purposely 
to  prevent  certain  persons  having  a  part  in  the 
matter.  * 

We  may  readily  suppose  other  cases  as  likely  to 
occur  as  the  above.     Two  or  three  may  be  profitably 

noticed.     A  member  of  a  church  in  B becomes 

a  resident  of  the  town  of  C .     He  belongs  to 

that  class  of  Christian  professors  who  are  not  exact- 
ly an  honor,  nor  exactly  a  disgrace,  to  the  cause  of 
religion.  Still,  to  a  majority  of  the  members  of  the 
church  in  C he  is  not  unfavorably  known.  Af- 
ter the  lapse  of  some  months,  in  order  to  comply 
with  the  requisition  of  the  church,  he  obtains  a  letter 
of  dismission  and  recommendation  to  the  church  in 
C -,  and  presents  himself  for  acceptance.  In  ac- 
cordance with  the  custom  which  generally  prevails, 
f  his  letter  is  presented  at  a  regular  church  meeting, 
and  he  is  voted  in.  Soon  one  of  the  habitual  absen- 
tees, a  Christian  professor,  in  good  and  regular  stand- 
ing, gravely  informs  the  brethren  that  the  new  com- 
municant ought  not  to  have  been  received ;  that  he 


CHURCH    MEETING.  71 

knows  of  immoralities  enough  to  exclude  him  from 
any  church  ;  and  that,  if  he  had  been  at  the  meeting, 
he  should  have  made  them  known.  All  this  is  true ; 
it  is  not  mere  suspicion.  The  man  is  verily  guilty, 
and  has  come  into  the  church  under  a  cloak  of  hy- 
pocrisy. And  if  the  informant  had  been  at  the  meet- 
ing, where  he  ought  to  have  been,  the  church  would 
have  been  spared  the  reproach  which  such  a  member 
brings  upon  it.* 

Again :  a  church  is  considering  the  matter  of  re- 
vising its  articles  of  faith,  together  with  its  rules  and 
regulations.  Upon  some  points  all  are  not  exactly 
satisfied.  For  instance,  some  would  leave  the  ques- 
tion of  infant  baptism  optional  with  the  parents,  in- 
stead of  making  it  a  condition  of  church  member- 
ship ;  or,  perhaps,  they  would  not  incorporate  into  the 
creed  the  doctrine  of  election.  Yet  these  and  kin- 
dred points  have  been  in  the  creed  from  the  origin 
of  the  church,  strongly  stated  as  absolute  conditions 
-of  membership.  It  is  hence  a  matter  of  considerable 
importance  to  revise  them.  There  is  also  quite  an 
interest  awakened  to  adopt  more  stringent  rules  than 
have  heretofore  been  regarded.     In  tins  respect  there 


*  The  author  has  recently  been  informed  of  the  case  of  a  man 
who  was  propounded  for  admission  to  a  church  by  letter,  with 
others  received  by  profession,  when  a  godless  person,  hearing  his 
name  thus  announced,  disclosed  his  true  character  to  one  of  the  offi- 
cers in  season  for  the  church  to  reject  him.  The  case  shows  the 
possibility  of  the  above. 


72  CHURCH    MEETING. 

may  have  been  a  looseness  on  the  part  of  the  church, 
as  there  is  apt  to  be,  and  now  circumstances  seem  to 
demand  more  rigid  regulations.  Business  of  such 
vital  importance  to  a  church  requires  great  unanim- 
ity of  feeling  and  action  in  order  to  prove  a  blessing. 
Unless  the  voice  for  change  is  well  nigh  unanimous, 
it  is  hazardous  to  attempt  it.  But  if  such  business 
is  to  be  done  at  an  ordinary  church  meeting,  is  it  possi- 
ble to  know  the  minds  of  even  a  majority  of  the  mem- 
bers, unless  special  effort  is  made  to  consult  them  at 
their  homes  ?  It  is  not  enough  to  say  that  the  absen- 
tees do  not  care  what  revision  of  the  creed  is  made 
or  what  rules  are  adopted.  It  is  a  poor  compliment 
to  them  as  professing  Christians ;  and,  besides,  they 
ought  to  care.  But  suppose  the  revision  of  the  arti- 
cles of  belief  or  the  new  regulations  do  essential- 
ly conflict  with  the  views  of  one  or  more  absent 
members  ;  this  would  not  be  strange.  Far  more 
trifling  transactions  have  given  rise  to  dissatisfaction 
and  subsequent  strife.  Might  not  the  hard  feelings 
and  discord  be  spared  if  the  aggrieved  party  were 
present  at  the  meeting?  When  he  knows  that  busi- 
ness of  such  importance  is  to  be  transacted,  is  it  not 
his  duty  to  be  there,  unless  Providence  absolutely 
detains  him  ?  Possibly  his  presence  would  preserve 
the  harmony  of  feeling  that  heretofore  prevailed. 

There  can  be  only  one  sentiment  in  relation  to 
Christian  duty  concerning  the  church  meeting  if 
such    consequences    have    resulted    from    neglect, 


CHURCH    MEETING.  73 

and  such  other  consequences  may  possibly  result. 
Against  issues  so  detrimental  to  Zion  every  Chris- 
tian ought  to  guard  with  untiring  assiduity.  He 
should  be  willing  to  make  self-denial  in  respect  to 
feeling  and  convenience,  in  order  to  prevent  every 
possible  collision.  He  should  be  deeply  anxious, 
lest  his  absence  from  meetings  for  the  adjustment 
of  ecclesiastical  affairs  should  be  the  occasion  of 
embarrassment  or  rupture.  Then,  and  only  then, 
will  he  possess  that  spirit  which  will  appreciate,  in 
a  tolerable  degree,  the  importance  of  the  meeting 
whose  claims  have  now  been  discussed. 

I  quote  again  a  paragraph  from  a  sermon  of  Eev. 
Albert  Barnes  :  "  There  are  large  numbers  in  the 
Christian  churches  who  have  only  the  feeblest  con- 
viction, if  they  have  any,  of  obligation  to  make  direct 
personal  efforts  to  promote  the  common  cause,  and 
that  the  responsibility  of  maintaining  and  carrying 
forward  religion  in  the  world,  in  the  more  direct  and 
self-denying  and  voluntary  efforts,  is  devolved  on 
others.  A  few  brief  illustrations  here  will  show 
what  I  particularly  wish  to  get  before  your  minds. 
First,  there  is  a  feeling  that  the  ministers  of  the  gos- 
pel should  be  peculiarly  holy  and  self-denying,  and 
dead  to  the  world,  dead  to  its  pleasures,  its  gains,  its 
ambition,  far  more  than  others ;  and  yet,  will  any 
one  point  me  to  a  place  in  the  New  Testament 
which  requires  ministers  of  the  gospel  .to  be  more 
devoted  to  the  work  of  their  Master  than  other 
7 


74  CHURCH    MEETING. 

Christians,  or  to  any  precept  or  permission  which 
would  make  that  to  be  right  in  yon  which  is  wrong 
in  us  ?  Second,  there  is  a  prevalent  feeling  that  the 
missionary  to  the  heathen  should  be  more  deeply 
imbued  with  the  spirit  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  with 
the  principles  of  voluntary  benevolence,  than  other 
men  ;  that  he  should  be  more  willing  to  take  up  his 
cross  and  to  traverse  pathless  sands,  or  go  through 
driving  snows,  to  do  good ;  that  he,  with  almost  no 
advantages  for  the  cultivation  of  the  graces  of  the 
spirit  in  a  heathen  land,  a  land  without  Sabbaths, 
and  sanctuaries,  and  Christian  fellowship,  should  be 
more  holy  than  we  who,  in  a  Christian  land,  enjoy, 
in  rich  abundance,  all  the  means  of  grace.  But 
will  any  one  point  to  the  place  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment which  shows  that  there  is  to  be  one  standard 
of  holiness  and  self-denial  for  him,  another  for  you 
and  me?  •  *  *  How  few  are  they  in  any 
church  who  feel  the  responsibility  of  laboring  for  the 
conversion  of  sinners  as  a  specific  thing  to  be  done ! 
How  few  are  they  who  feel  any  responsibility  for 
keeping  up  meetings  of  social  prayer !  How  few 
are  they,  among  those  who  are  well  qualified,  who 
feel  under  obligation  to  engage  in  Sabbath  school 
instruction!  How  few  are  they,  and  even* among 
those  who  will  not  refuse  to  contribute  to  the  object 
when  applied  to,  who  feel  under  personal  obligation 
to  originate  any  movement  for  the  promotion  of  the 
objects  of  Christian  benevolence,  or  to  be  the  well- 


CHURCH    MEETING.  75 

known  and  efficient  patrons  of  the  institutions  which 
contemplate  the  conversion  of  the  world !  On  the 
minds  of  the  few  these  obligations  ^are  deeply  and 
permanently  felt ;  on  the  mass,  even,  of  professed 
Christians,  it  is  feared,  they  are  not  felt ;  by  the 
mass,  certainly,  they  are  not  regarded."  And  it  is 
this  feeling  of  irresponsibility  in  regard  to  the  trans- 
action of  church  business  which  causes  the  church 
meeting  to  languish. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

PREPARATORY  LECTURE,  AND  LORD'S  SUPPER. 

The  Lord's  Supper  a  simple  Ordinance.  —  Observed  in  Remembrance 
of  Christ.  —  Men  ahcays  sought  to  perpetuate  Memory.  —  Christ 
had  Reference  to  this  Element  of  Human  Nature.  —  His  Plan  dif- 
fers from  that  of  Men  in  Simplicity.  —  Founded  on  Laic  of  Asso- 
ciation. —  Hoio  important  and  solemn  this  Sacrament.  —  Hence 
the  Custom  of  observing  a  preparatory  Season.  —  Communicants' 
Prayer  Meeting.  —  Lecture  useful.  —  Best  Plan  should  be  adopted. 
—  Preparatory  Lecture  y.oorly  atteiuied. —  Members  do  not  pre- 
pare for  Lord's  Supper.  —  Abbott's  Remarks.  —  Providence  only 
shoidd  detain  them  from  this  Ordiimiwe.  —  Should  not  stay  away 
because  of  personal  Diffictdties  with  Members,  or  because  there  are 
wicked  Persons  in  the  Church.  —  "  When  they  had  sung  a  Hymnt 
they  went  out  into  the  Mount  of  Olives." 

The  last  night  of  .our  Savior's  earthly  sojourn  had 
come.  Defenceless  and  persecuted,  he  retired  to  an 
tijjper  chamber  with  his  twelve  unprotected  friends 
for  the  last  interview  before  his  ignominious  death. 
The  morrow  would  remove  him  from  the  society  of 
his  disciples  and  from  all  the  scenes  of  his  earthly 
mission.  Hence  he  would  do  something  to  insure 
a  living  bond  of  union  between  his  disciples  and 
himself  after  the  awful  tragedy  of  the  cross  should 

C76) 


PREPARATORY  LECTURE,    AND    LORD'S  SUPPER.       77 

be  enacted.  He  would  have  a  strong  Christian 
affinity  uniting  the  hearts  of  his  friends  in  the  flesh 
to  himself  when  he  should  be  no  longer  visible  to 
the  bodily  eye.  He  would  leave  some  suitable  me- 
morial of  his  dying  love  to  remind  his  followers,  in 
every  age,  of  his  sacrifices  for  the  salvation  of  the 
soul.  And  the  ordinance  which  he  instituted  for 
this  purpose,  how  simple  !  how  perfectly  accordant 
with  the  simplicity  of  his  character  and  doctrines  ! 
how  unpretending  and  modest!  View  it  as  de- 
scribed by  the  sacred  writer  :  — 

"  The  Lord  Jesus,  the  same  night  in  which  he  was 
betrayed,  took  bread;  and  when  he  had  given  thanks, 
he  brake  it,  and  said,  Take*  eat ;  this  is  my  body, 
which  is  broken  for  you  ;  this  do  in  remembrance  of 
me.  After  the  same  manner  also  he  took  the  cup, 
when  he  had  supped,  saying,  This  cup  is  the  new 
testament  in  my  blood  ;  this  do  ye,  as  oft  as  ye 
drink  it,  in  remembrance  of  me.  For  as  often  as  ye 
eat  this  bread,  and  drink  this  cup,  ye  do  show  the 
Lord's  death  till  he  come." 

How  simple  !  The  scoffer  may  see  in  the  ordi- 
nance nothing  but  puerile  and  meaningless  ceremo- 
ny, and  hence  may  pity  the  supposed  superstitious 
disciples  who  come  to  the  supper  of  the  Lord.  His 
eyes  are  not  opened  to  behold  the  meaning  and 
beauty  of  the  unpretending  rite.  As  to  the  ordinary 
traveller  there  is  no  language  or  meaning  in  the  hie- 
roglyphics cut  upon  the  marble  slab  that  is  dug  from 
7  # 


78  PREPARATORY    LECTURE, 

the  ruins  of  Nineveh,  while  to  him  who  has  learned 
to  interpret  the  strange  characters  they  contain  the 
truthful  history  of  a  people  long  since  passed  away, 
and  prove  the  divine  origin  of  the  Scriptures,  so,  to 
him  whose  blind  eyes  have  never  been  unsealed  by 
the  spirit  and  grace  of  God,  there  is  no  beauty  or 
dignity  in  the  consecrated  bread  and  wine ;  while  he 
who  is  made,  by  divine  grace,  to  discern  spiritual 
things,  can  perceive  a  design  and  adaptation  in  the 
sacred  symbols,  which  revives  his  drooping  graces, 
and  increases  his  love  for  Christ. 

"  This  do  in  remembrance  of  me."  To  perpetu- 
ate the  memory  of  himself,  as  a  suffering  Savior,  was 
the  object  of  Christ  in  the  institution  of  this  ordi- 
nance. The  impression  of  past  scenes  and  experi- 
ences, however  marked  at  the  time,  are  in  danger  of 
being  effaced  by  the  cares  and  changes  of  life.  Men 
have  had  regard  to  this  fact  in  all  ages,  in  the  erec- 
tion of  monuments  and  the  celebration  of  remarka- 
ble events.  Our  land  is  dotted  with  rising  shafts  to 
mark  the  spots  of  our  fathers'  great  exploits.  The 
places  on  which  the  champions  of  truth  made  their 
most  signal  achievements  for  the  church  are  often 
rendered  familiar,  through  befitting  memorials,  to 
children's  children ;  and  various  times  in  the  yeaj 
we  observe  days,  with  the  jubilant  multitude,  in  com- 
memoration of  past  events.  Such  customs  hav< 
been  handed  down  to  us  from  patriarchal  times 
Sacred  history  abounds  in  such  examples  as  tha» 


and  lord's  supper.  79 

of  the  twelve  tribes,  in  the  reign  of  Joshua,  setting 
up  a  monument  of  stones,  on  the  banks  of  the  Jor- 
dan, in  commemoration  of  their  deliverance  from  its 
swelling  flood.  Perhaps  in  most  of  such  examples 
as  we  find  upon  the  sacred  record  there  is  less  of 
extravagant  display,  and  more  of  simplicity,  than 
characterize  kindred  incidents  of  the  present  day; 
but  in  each  and  all  there  is  a  marked  design  to  per- 
petuate the  remembrance  of  past  events.  There  is 
the  recognition,  in  all  such  cases,  of  the  fact  that 
man  needs  the  aid  of  suitable  memorials  in  order  to 
retain  the  impression  of  by-gone  scenes.  Doubtless 
the  celebration  of  the  anniversary  of  our  national  in- 
dependence has  served  to  perpetuate  the  recollection 
of  the  early  struggle  of  our  fathers  for  liberty.  In- 
deed, it  is  not  too  much  to  believe  that  it  has  kept 
the  fire  of  patriotism  burning  in  numerous  hearts, 
and  made  posterity  more  grateful  to  God  for  the 
priceless  boon  of  freedom. 

Christ  evidently  had  in  view  this  element  of  hu- 
man nature  when  he  instituted  the  supper  as  a  me- 
morial of  his  love.  He  saw  that,  without  something 
of  the  kind  to  interrupt  the  worldly  schemes  and 
musings  of  his  people,  the  gospel  which  he  preached 
would  be  likely  to  lose  its  power  over  human  hearts. 
Therefore,  he  would  gather  them  from  time  to  time 
around  the  table  which  his  goodness  spreads  as  a 
remembrancer.  He  would  fan  the  dying  embers 
of  Christian  devotion  to  a  flame  by  the  memory  of 


80  PREPARATORY    LECTURE, 

his  atoning  sacrifice,  and  inspire  gratitude  and  love? 
by  the  recollection  of  the  shedding  of  blood  "  for  the 
remission  of  sins."  The  great  duty  of  the  commu- 
nicant at  the  table  of  the  Lord  is  to  remember 
Christ  —  to  remember  him  as  Savior,  and  the 
brightness  of  his  Father's  glory — to  remember  his 
toils  and  sacrifices  in  establishing  his  kingdom  on 
earth  —  to  remember  his  agony  in  the  garden,  and 
his  sufferings  upon  the  cross  —  to  remember  him  as 
Mediator  and  Intercessor,  and  now  waiting  in  heaven 
to  welcome  his  followers  to  an  inheritance  of  per- 
petual delight.  What  better  recollections  can  ani- 
mate the  immortal  mind  ?  What  nobler,  sublimer 
themes  can  command  its  power  ?  What  more  im- 
pressive appeals  can  move  the  heart  ? 

This  plan  of  Christ  to  perpetuate  his  memory  dif- 
fers widely  from  the  usual  methods  adopted  by  man- 
kind to  secure  a  similar  object.  In  all  ages,  ambi- 
tious and  aspiring  men  have  sought  to  perpetuate 
their  renown  by  leaving  some  proud  monument  be- 
hind them  when  they  die.  Unless  they  could  found 
a  city,  or  erect  a  mausoleum,  or  build  a  pyramid,  or 
rear  a  lofty  column  of  brass  or  marble,  they  scarcely 
hoped  their  names  would  live  on  earth.  Hence  Uom- 
ulus  founded  Rome  ;  Cephrenes  built  the  great  pyr- 
amid of  Memphis ;  Trajan  reared  a  lofty  pillar;  and 
Caesar  stamped  his  effigy  upon  the  coin  of  his  mighty 
empire.  But  Christ  did  not  ask  for  brass  or  marble  ; 
Jie  sought  for  no  shaft  or  monumental  pile  to  embalm 


AND    LORD'S    SUPPER.  81 

his  name  in  the  grateful  recollections  of  posterity. 
He  simply  asked  that  his  followers  might  meet  from 
time  to  time,  and  receive  the  consecrated  bread  and 
wine  in  remembrance  of  his  sufferings  and  death. 
And  when  the  corroding  touch  of  time  shall  have 
wasted  the  proudest  works  of  art  and  ingenuity,  and 
the  names  they  were  designed  to  perpetuate  are  re- 
membered no  more,  this  simple  ordinance  will  still 
endear  the  risen  Savior  to  the  hearts  of  converted 
millions.  It  is  Christ's  monument,  that  will  live  as 
long  as  the  world  endures. 

This  plan  of  Christ  to  prolong  the  recollection  of 
himself  among  his  followers,  by  receiving  the  sacred 
symbols,  is  founded  upon  an  important  law  of  the 
human  mind  —  the  law  of  association.  The  associa- 
tion of  two  things  in  the  mind  so  unites  them  that 
the  mention  of  one  will  suggest  the  other.  The 
name  of  Washington  is  associated  with  our  inde- 
pendence ;  we  cannot  speak  of  one  without  thinking 
of  the  other.  The  slow  tolling  of  the  bell  immedi- 
ately suggests  the  death  scene  and  funeral.  When 
we  meet  a  person  who  is  notorious  for  swearing  or 
profligacy,  we  at  once  think  of  his  loathsome  vice. 
On  the  other  hand,  when  we  meet  an  individual 
who  is  famed  for  his  generosity  or  purity,  our  minds 
dwell  immediately  upon  his  virtue.  So  the  institu- 
tion of  the  Lord's  supper,  where  we  receive  the  em- 
blems of  our  Savior's  body  and  blood,  is  so  asso- 
ciated in  the  mind  with  his  agonies  upon  the  cross 


82  PREPARATORY    LECTURE, 

t 

that  we  cannot  come  to  the  solemn  feast  without  im- 
pressive thoughts  of  his  love  and  stupendous  sacri- 
fice. It  is  impossible  to  participate  in  this  Christian 
privilege,  with  even  an  ordinary  degree  of  devotion, 
without  visiting,  in  imagination,  Gethsemane  and 
Calvary.  The  ordinance,  being  founded  upon  the 
laws  of  the  mind,  is  well  suited  to  preserve  the  re- 
membrance of  Christ. 

The  Scriptures  attach  great  importance  and  so- 
lemnity to  the  relations  of  the  communicant  at  the 
table  of  the  Lord.  They  present  it  as  the  most  sol- 
emn and  responsible  place  which  the  believer  can 
occupy.  They  admit  of  no  excuse  for  worldliness 
or  thoughtlessness  during  this  communion  season. 
It  is  coming  into  such  a  nearness  to  untold  agonies, 
to  groans,  and  blood,  and  expiring  life,  that  any  feel- 
ings and  views  other  than  those  inspired  by  earnest 
piety  are  sure  to  incur  the  displeasure  of  Almighty 
God.  The  anathema  pronounced  upon  those  who 
come  to  this  supper  with  little  or  no  regard  to  its 
solemn  import  is  exceedingly  fearful.  Language 
could  not  be  uttered  more  expressive  of  divine  dis- 
pleasure to  deter  the  professing  Christian  from 
coming  recklessly  to  Christ's  table.  Hear  the  great 
apostle  as  he  treats  of  this  •subject  to  the  Corinthian 
church  :  "  Therefore  let  us  keep  the  feast,  not  with 
old  leaven,  neither  with  the  leaven  of  malice  and 
wickedness,  but  with  the  unleavened  bread  of  sin- 
cerity and  truth.     Whosoever  shall  eat  this  bread 


and  lord's  supper.  83 

and  drink  this  cup  of  the  Lord  unworthily,  shall  be 
guilty  of  the  body  and  blood  of  the  Lord.  But  let  a 
man  examine  himself,  and  so  let  him  eat  of  that 
bread,  and  drink  of  that  cup.  For  he  that  eateth 
and  drinketh  unworthily,  eateth  and  drinketh  dam- 
nation to  himself,  not  discerning  the  Lord's  body." 
One  would  suppose  that  such  a  fearful  warning 
would  be  enough  to  insure  self-examination  on  the 
part  of  every  Christian  before  receiving  the  sacred 
symbols.  To  come  to  the  table  with  plans  of  world- 
ly business,  or  cherishing  some  darling  sin,  to  ap- 
pear there  with  unkindness  or  malice  towards  a 
fellow-traveller  to  eternity,  or  with  pride,  jealousy, 
envy,  and  kindred  evil  passions  rankling  in  the 
heart,  is  to  brave  the  above  terrific  threatening  of 
Jehovah.  What  Christian  disciple  dare  take  upon 
himself  the  awful  responsibility  of  receiving  the 
bread  and  wine  with  stupid  indifference  or  an  unfeel- 
ing heart  ?  Who  would  run  the  hazard  of  exciting 
divine  indignation  by  the  demeanor  of  a  careless 
communicant?  Who  would  not  be  solicitous  lest 
he  eat  and  drink  "  damnation  to  himself"  ? 

Upon  the  importance  and  solemnity  attached  to 
this  ordinance  is  based  the  custom  of  the  church  to 
observe  devotional  seasons  preparatory  to  it.  If  re- 
ceiving the  emblems  imposes  so  great  responsibili- 
ties upon  the  communicant,  then,  certainly,  a  suita- 
ble preparation  is  the  dictate  of  reason  and  con- 
science.    "  Let  a  man  examme  himself,  and  so  let 


84  PREPARATORY  LECTURE, 

him  eat  that  bread,  and  drink  that  cup."  Hence  it 
has  long  been  the  custom  with  pastors  to  preach  a 
lecture  to  church  members  preparatory  to  the  Lord's 
supper.  Some  churches,  however,  dispense  with 
the  set  lecture,  or  sermon,  and  sustain  a  "  commu- 
nicant's prayer  meeting."  Others  observe  a  service 
in  which  all  the  members  of  the  church,  male  and 
female,  are  expected  to  participate,  by  speaking  of 
their  experience  with  reference  to  the  approaching 
sacrament. 

That  the  usual  preparatory  lecture  is  more  useful 
than  the  other  services  named  above  to  prepare  the 
church  member  for  the  communion  season,  some 
will  question ;  and  all,  doubtless,  will  admit  that  it 
may  sometimes  give  place  to  the  meeting  for  con- 
ference and  prayer  with  great  advantage,  and,  per- 
haps, in  some  latitudes,  be  set  aside  entirely  for  the 
substitution  of  the  latter.  The  labor  of  preparing 
the  lecture  amid  duties  which  already  tax  the 
pastor  beyond  his  strength,  and  the  paucity  of  the 
number  who  listen  to  it,  may  be  urged  as  objections 
to  this  service.  Would  that  the  latter  objection  did 
not  apply  with  such  force  as  it  really  does !  for,  if 
the  attendance  upon  the  lecture  were  more  general, 
its  usefulness  and  consequent  importance  would  be 
better  appreciated.  Besides,  it  would  furnish  an 
excellent  opportunity  for  the  preaching  of  those  plain 
and  pungent  sermons  which  every  faithful  minister 
must  preach     It  would  be  far  more  congenial  to  a 


and  lord's  supper.  85 

pastor's  feelings  to  expose  the  delinquencies  of  God's 
people  on  this  occasion  than  upon  the  more  public 
ministrations  of  the  Sabbath.  Still,  the  importance 
of  the  lecture,  so  extensively  observed,  at  least  by 
Congregational  churches,  ought  not  to  be  overlooked. 
Though  it  fail,  in  any  degree,  to  secure  the  object 
designed, — preparation  for  the  Lord's  supper, — 
that  failure  is  not  necessary.  Fidelity  to  covenant 
vows,  on  the  part  of  Christian  professors,  may  ren- 
der it  an  invaluable  means  of  grace. 

The  most  successful  way  of  securing  the  necessa- 
ry degree  of  spirituality  with  which  to  appear  at  the 
table  of  the  Lord  ought  certainly  to  be  adopted;  nor 
should  the  communicant  depend  entirely  upon  the 
more  public  service  for  the  requisite  preparation.  In 
secret  places  he  should  commune  with  his  own 
heart  and  with  God  before  he  comes  to  enjoy  the 
closer  communion  of  the  holy  eucharist.  It  is,  after 
all,  in  retirement  that  the  heart  is  purged  from  sin, 
and  the  Christian  is  fitted  to  receive,  with  becoming 
humility  and  faith,  the  memorials  of  our  Savior's 
love.  The  neglect  of  private  devotion  will  chill  the 
affections,  even  though  there  is  a  constant  attend- 
ance upon  the  meetings  for  prayer  and  conference. 
Hence,  whatever  be  the  character  or  frequency  of 
public  religious  services,  self-examination  and  secret 
prayer  are  indispensable  as  a  preparation  for  the  sup- 
per of  the  Lord. 

Yet,  whatever   preparatory  service  is  nominally 


86  PREPARATORY    LECTURE, 

sustained  by  the  church,  whether  it  be  a  lecture  or 
prayer  meeting,  it  ought  to  be  generously  attended 
by  the  members.  If  only  a  few  are  present,  the 
service  is  lost  to  the  church  as  a  whole.  At  present, 
there  is  almost  universal  negligence  in  our  churches 
in  respect  to  the  preparatory  lecture.  In  churches 
of  ordinary  size,  only  from  one  fourth  to  one  JiaJf  of 
the  members  attend  at  any  one  time  upon  this  ser- 
vice. In  the  larger  churches,  the  proportional  num- 
ber is  still  less.  An  officer  of  one  of  the  largest 
churches  in  the  state  informed  me  that  the  average 
attendance  at  the  preparatory  lecture  was  only  one 
eighth  of  their  number.  This  may  be  an  exception, 
and  we  hope  for  the  honor  of  Christ  that  it  is  ;  but 
that  Christian  professors  are  delinquent  in  this  re- 
gard is  too  evident  to  admit  of  dispute.  A  minority 
only  of  almost  every  church  avail  themselves  of  this 
means  of  grace.  The  majority,  and  often  a  large 
majority,  absent  themselves  without  any  conscien- 
tious scruples. 

In  regard  to  a  special  preparation  for  the  Lord's 
supper,  how  few  of  us  can  be  exempted  from  a  sol- 
emn charge  before  God !  How  many  press  their 
worldly  pursuits  until  late  on  Saturday  night,  and  rise 
on  Sabbath  morning,  with  jaded  mind  and  sluggish 
soul,  to  go  to  the  communion  table  of  Christ !  Would 
that  no  professor  ever  received  the  bread  and  cup 
with  as  little  concern  and  devotion  as  he  receives 
his  daily  food  !     Would  that  no  one  ever  presumed 


and  lord's  supper.  87 

to  sit  at  the  Lord's  table  in  a  frame  of  mind  as  care- 
less as  that  with,  which  he  attends  upon  an  ordinary 
religious  service !  But,  alas  !  the  truth  cannot  be 
disguised,  that,  without  a  moment  spent  in  prayer  or 
self-examination,  many  professing  Christians  come 
to  the  Lord's  table.  With  no  anxious  inquiry  into 
the  spiritual  state  of  the  heart,  whether  one  is  fitted 
to  receive  the  emblems  worthily  or  not,  some  pre- 
sume to  sit  as  communicants.  The  thought  that  it 
is  the  time  for  the  soul  to  have  a  moral  reckoning 
with  God,  to  settle  accounts,  and  make  provision  for 
the  future,  does  not  seem  to  pervade  the  mind.  AU 
that  has  been  said  respecting  the  importance  and 
solemnity  of  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's  supper  is  a 
withering  rebuke  to  such  a  course. 

For- this  reason  it  maybe  that  Zion  languishes; 
for  this  reason,  possibly,  it  is  that  vital  piety  is  at  so 
low  an  ebb.  The  apostle  declared  to  the  church  at 
Corinth  that  there  were  many  "  weak  and  sickly  " 
Christians  among  them  because  they  improperly  cel- 
ebrated the  Lords  supper.  He  ascribed  their  lack 
of  spiritual  prosperity  to  this  delinquency  alone.  So, 
now,  may  not  an  improper  observance  of  this  sacra- 
ment excite  the  displeasure  of  God,  and  bring  a 
moral  blight  upon  the  church? 

Abbott  has  so  pungently  exposed  the  delinquen- 
cies of  some  Christian  disciples,  in  relation  to  pre- 
paratory lecture  and  the  Lord's  supper,  that  I  quote 
his  language  entire  :  "  *  It  is  preparatory  lecture  to- 


68  PREPARATORY  LECTURE, 

night,'  says  one  of  the  weak,  sickly  Christians 
pointed  at  by  Paul  in  the  passage  above  quoted 
1  Let  me  see  —  shall  I  go  ? ' 

"  He  has  been  all  day  engaged  in  the  world,  and 
his  heart  is  still  full  of  its  interests  and  cares.  On 
the  other  hand,  there  is  the  lwhit  of  going  to  the 
preparatory  lecture.  After  a  contest  of  a  few  min- 
utes between  the  two,  the  habit,  or,  as  it,  perhaps, 
should  be  called,  the  attachment  to  form,  conquers, 
though  he  fancies  that  the  victory  is  gained  by 
Christian  principle.  He  walks  along  at  the  appoint- 
ed time,  either  thinking  of  his  worldly  plans,  or  else 
indulging  a  feeling  of  self-complacence  at  his  supe- 
rior interest  in  religious  duty  when  he  sees  how  few 
of  his  brethren  are  to  be  there. 

"  He  listens  to  the  discourse  much  as  he  would  to 
any  other  sermon,  and  applies  the  general  considera- 
tions it  presents,  with  the  same  fidelity,  to  his  own 
case,  that  this  class  of  Christians  usually  exemplify. 
On  his  way  home  he  may  make  a  remark  or  two 
about  the  discourse  or  the  smallness  of  the  number 
present ;  and  then  the  world,  even  if  it  was  actual- 
ly excluded  while  he  was  in  the  house  of  God, 
which  is  more  than  doubtful,  presses  in  upon  him 
again.  The  approaching  solemnity  passes  from  his 
mind,  until,  on  the  next  Sabbath,  when  he  is  walk- 
ing up  the  aisle  to  the  pew,  his  eye  catches  the  plate 
arranged  for  the  ordinance,  and  he  says  to  himself, 
'  O  it  is  communion  to-day.' 


and  lord's  supper.  89 

*  Daring  the  administration  of  the  ordinance,  he 
endeavors  to  listen  to  the  pastor's  remarks  ;  but 
he  finds  it  somewhat  difficult  to  attend  to  them. 
Some  few  very  vague  and  general  religious  impres- 
sions pass  through  his  mind ;  and  when  the  cup  is 
handed  to  him  he  looks  serious,  and  takes  his  por- 
tion with  a  very  reverential  air,  and  something  like 
a  general  supplication  for  forgiveness  and  for  greater 
measures  for  holiness  pass  through  his  mind.  There 
is  something  like  a  slight  feeling  of  impatience  at 
the  delay  while  the  elements  are  distributing  to  the 
others  ;  and  yet  it  is  not  impatience  exactly  ;  but  he 
has  nothing  to  do  with  his  thoughts,  and  he  feels  a 
little  satisfaction  when  the  ceremony  is  over.  He 
will  not  acknowledge  it,  even  to  himself ;  but  it  is  in 
his  heart,  and  he  walks  home  feeling  that  he  has 
been  discharging  a  duty,  which,  though  it  is  not  an 
unpleasant  one  certainly,  he  still  is  glad  that  it  is 
done. 

"  It  is  a  dead  letter  —  a  lifeless,  heartless,  useless 
form  ;  and  thousands  of  Christians  every  where  thus 
pervert  the  ordinance  which  God  designed  to  be, 
perhaps,  one  of  the  most  efficacious  means  of  grace 
that  the  Christian  is  permitted  to  enjoy." 

What  has  been  said  plainly  teaches  the  duty  of 
constantly  participating  in  the  privilege  of  the  Lord's 
supper.  Ordinary  reasons  for  staying  away  from  the 
house  of  God  should  not  detain  one  from  the  com- 
munion ;  for  all  need  to  be  put  in  remembrance  of 
8* 


90  PREPARATORY    LECTURE, 

Christ.  All  need  the  restraints  and  impulses,  the 
admonitions  and  grace,  incident  to  the  proper  ob- 
servance of  this  sacrament.  No  slight  excuse  is  re- 
ceived by  Him  who  instituted  this  ordinance  as  a 
necessary  memorial  of  his  sufferings  and  death. 
Upon  this  point  every  Christian  should  feel  con- 
science-bound. Effort,  self-denial,  and  planning, 
beyond  the  usual  degree,  should  bring  them  to  the 
"  feast  of  charity." 

But  what  if  a  professor  does  not  feel  prepared  to 
receive  the  emblems ;  shall  he  stay  away  ?  Shall  he 
refuse  to  celebrate  the  sacrament  with  his  brethren  ? 
Such  questions  are  really  forestalled  by  considering 
a  prior  obligation,  to  which  they  make  no  reference. 
Duty  lies  back  of  this  low,  languishing  state  of  re- 
ligion. Unprepared  to  come  to  the  table  of  the 
Lord !  Is  it  not  a  Christian's  duty  to  b<p  prepared 
for  this  ordinance  ?  Where  falls  the  blame  if  he  is 
not  in  a  proper  frame  of  mind  to  be  a  communicant? 
The  question,  then,  is  not,  whether  he  should  stay 
away  because  he  is  not  spiritual  enough ;  but  rather, 
ought  he  not  to  possess  such  a  degree  of  holiness  as 
to  render  him  an  acceptable  communicant?  This 
question,  answered  in  the  affirmative,  leaves  no  op- 
portunity to  put  the  other. 

Another  point  deserves  to  be  noticed.  Sometimes 
professing  Christians  refuse  to  come  to  the  Lord's 
table  because  of  personal  difficulties  with  some 
member  who  is  still  in  full  communion,  or  because 


AND    LORD'S    SUPPER.  91 

of  known  sins  on  the  part  of  the  officers  or  other 
members  of  the  church.  Is  this  right  ?  By  what 
authority  do  such  persons  refuse  to  attend  upon  this 
ordinance  ?  Do  they  find  a  sanction  for  such  a 
course  in  the  Scriptures  ?  The  command  of  Christ 
is,  "  This  do  in  remembrance  of  me,"  and  that,  too, 
without  the  proviso,  if  there  are  no  Judases  in  the 
church.  What  though  an  Aclian  or  a  Judas  is  at  our 
side  ?  We  are  not  responsible  for  their  sins.  We 
are  responsible  for  the  manner  in  which  we  cele- 
brate the  supper,  and  so  is  the  delinquent.  True, 
we  are  our  "  brother's  keeper ; "  but  only  in  respect 
to  the  example  we  set,  and  the  influence  of  word  or 
deed  which  we  exert  over  him ;  and  this,  so  for 
from  excusing  our  attendance  upon  this  ordinance 
because  of  another's  delinquencies,  increases  our 
obligation  to  celebrate  it  in  a  manner  that  shall  be 
safe  for  him  to  follow.  We  always  meet  most  suc- 
cessfully the  obligations  in  regard  to  being  a  "  broth- 
er's keeper  "  by  discharging  the  obligations  we  owe 
to  our  own  hearts.  When  our  own  hearts  are  pure 
in  the  sight  of  God,  we  are  not  chargeable  with  fail- 
ures in  this  respect.  And,  if  this  be  true,  the  sins 
of  a  fellow  church  member,  however  gross,  cannot 
modify  or  change  our  duty  to  remember  Christ  at 
his  table.  The  pastor  himself,  who  breaks  the 
bread,  may  be  a  delinquent ;  and  the  deacons,  who 
distribute  it,  may  be  equally  censurable ;  still  the 
command  is   upon  the  communicant,  "  This   do  in 


92  PREPARATORY  LECTURE,  AND  LORD'S  SUPPER. 

remembrance  of  me."  It  is  not  for  him  to  ask  at 
the  Lord's  table  whether  a  brother  or  sister  is  good 
enough  to  be  there.  He  is  to  "examine  himself" 
not  others,  on  this  interesting  occasion.  At  another 
time  and  place  it  is  his  duty  to  discipline,  and  cut 
off,  if  necessary,  all  wicked  members.  Christ  sat  at 
the  table  with  Judas,  although  he  knew  him  to  be  a 
"  devil." 

"  And  when  they  had  sung  a  hymn,  they  went 
out  into  the  Mount  of  Olives."  It  was  a  quiet  and 
lovely  retreat,  congenial  to  the  pious  feelings  awa- 
kened at  the  last  supper.  The  solitude  of  the  olive 
groves  was  a  fit  place  for  meditation  and  retrospec- 
tive views.  In  the  streets  of  the  city  a  holy,  sub- 
duing thought  might  be  put  to  flight  as  a  timid 
dove  ;  but  in  the  silent  mount,  where  the  Savior 
was  wont  to  retire  for  holy  musing  and  prayer,  there 
was  nought  to  interrupt  the  flow  of  religions  emotion 
begotten  at  the  sacramental  board.  The  disciples 
acted  wisely  in  seeking  such  a  place  after  the  com- 
munion enjoyed  in  the  upper  room.  Thus  should 
the  communicant  conduct  now  as  he  goes  away 
from  the  Lord's  table.  Instead  of  seeking  the  so- 
ciety of  the  worldly,  and  allowing  himself  to  con- 
verse upon  topics  of  a  secular  nature,  he  should 
strive  to  foster  the  good  resolves  and  pious  emotions 
inspired  by  the  communion  service.  Then  will  the 
blessing  of  God  abide  upon  him. 


CHAPTER    V. 

CHURCH  AND  PARISH. 

Collision  between  them.  —  Object  of  Parish  Organization  frequently 
defeated.  —  Debts  contracted  and  Expenses  unpaid.  —  Sanctua- 
ries mortgaged.  —  Some  obliged  to  pay  more  than  their  proportion- 
al Part.  —  Ministers'  Salaries  unpaid.  —  Credit  of  Parish  im- 
paired. —  Hence  Parish  and  Church  dilatory.  —  Irresponsible.  — 
Duty  of  Believers  and  Unbelievers  to  support  Gospel. — Parish  is 
the  Organization  of  Necessity.  —  Every  Church  Member  ought  to 
pay  his  proportional  Part.  —  Should  also  belong  to  the  Parish.  — 
Address  to  Young  Men.  —  Conclusion. 

The  relation  of  the  church  and  parish  has  be- 
come a  subject  of  great  importance.  So  much  dis- 
cussion and  strife  are  occasioned  by  their  connection, 
and  such  embarrassments  are  cast  upon  the  cause 
of  truth  in  consequence,  that  it  is  high  time  their 
mutual  relations  were  better  understood.  The  parish 
was  designed  to  facilitate  the  support  of  the  gospel, 
and  thus  promote  the  object  of  the  church  organiza- 
tion. Like  the  two  parts  of  a  whole,  they  ought  to 
harmonize,  and  present  a  beautiful  example  of  mu- 
tual cooperation ;  but,  instead  of  this,  the  church  is 
too  often  a  foe  to  the  parish,  and  the  parish  to  the 

(93) 


94  CHURCH    AND    PARISH. 

church.  One  charges  the  other  with  neglect  of  duty, 
and  often  one  refuses  to  do  what  is  supposed  to  be 
the  work  of  the  other.  In  consequence  of  this,  there 
is  frequently  delay,  inefficiency,  and  even  deliberate 
refusal  to  meet  obligations. 

Evidently  something  is  wrong  in  the  present  rela- 
lations  of  church  and  parish,  as  too  generally  their 
conflicts  indicate.  When  there  is  much  friction  in 
any  part  of  a  system  of  racing  machinery  it  indicates 
a  wrong  adjustment,  and  demands  immediate  atten- 
tion, in  order  to  prevent  waste  and  avert  disaster ; 
and  when  there  is  friction  between  the  parts  of  a 
religious  organization  it  shows  there  is  wrong  some- 
where, which  essentially  retards  its  progress,  and 
wastes  the  organism  itself,  unless  speedily  removed. 

That  such  is  the  truth  in  regard  to  the  lack  of  co- 
operation between  the  church  and  parish,  the  follow- 
ing reference  to  what  is  frequently  witnessed  will 
fully  establish. 

•  Tlie  object  of  the  parish  organization  is  frequent- 
ly defeated.  It  is  intended  to  be  the  agency  for 
transacting  the  secular  business  of  the  church,  or 
rather  the  organization  for  the  collection  and  dis- 
bursement of  its  finances.  It  is  taken  for  granted  in 
its  formation  that  all  Christian  professors  will  ap- 
prove the  object,  and  yield  it  their  support;  and 
since  it  originated  in  the  fact  that  many  non-pro- 
fessors are  willing  to  cooperate  in  sustaining  religious 
ordinances,  whose  support  God  has  devolved,  in  a 


CHURCH    AND    PARISH.  95 

special  sense,  upon  the  church,  it  is  expected  that 
many  unconverted  citizens  will  be  found  among  its 
members.  As  one  of  its  designs  was,  originally,  to 
combine  as  large  a  portion  of  the  community  as  pos- 
sible in  support  of  the  gospel,  thus  dividing  the  ne- 
cessary expenditure  among  a  considerable  number 
instead  of  imposing  it  upon  a  few,  its  early  consti- 
tution had  reference  to  the  mass  of  citizens. 

This  object  is  not  accomplished.  A  small  portion 
of  any  religious  society  belong  to  the  parish.  Even 
many  members  of  the  church,  men  of  prayer  and  un- 
doubted piety,  are  not  scrupulous  at  all  in  refusing 
to  unite  with  others  in  this  capacity.  Hence  it  often 
happens  that  only  a  part  of  the  church  are  members 
of  the  parish,  and  a  still  smaller  number  of  non-pro- 
fessors. In  these  circumstances  it  is  not  'possible  to 
accomplish  the  original  design  of  the  parish  in  equal- 
izing, in  any  measure,  the  necessary  expenses.  For 
the  parish  to  support  the  gospel  wholly,  in  all  places, 
would  be  the  work  of  a  very  small  minority  of  our 
communities,  and  would  not  embrace  many  of  God's 
people.  Men  are  in  the  habit  of  declaring,  "  I  will 
pay  so  much,  and  no  more  ; "  "I  will  not  submit  to 
be  taxed."  Even  Christian  professors  say  this ;  and 
now,  such  is  the  state  of  things  in  many  religious 
societies,  that  an  attempt  to  equalize  individual  ap- 
portionments would  shiver  the  parish  into  fragments. 
There  would  be  "  signing  off,"  and  such  general  scat- 


96  CHURCH   AND    PARISH. 

tering  as  the  past,  in  similar  circumstances,  lias  fre- 
quently witnessed. 

Debts  are  contracted  by  religious  societies.  How 
few  of  them  can  show  no  deficiency  in  this  respect ! 
how  few  cancel  the  expenses  of  each  year  prompt- 
ly as  they  arisS  !  And  is  it  always  an  absolute  lack 
of  means  which  prevents  ?  Are  not  religious  socie- 
ties now  burdened  with  debts,  when  a  very  small 
assessment  upon  the  property  within  their  limits 
would  liquidate  them  ten  times  over  ?  In  numerous 
instances,  might  not  the  debts  be  removed  at  once  if 
there  were  no  collision  between  the  church  and 
parish,  or  if  the  object  of  their  union,  in  relation  to 
the  mass  of  citizens,  were  accomplished  ?  Is  it  not 
true  that,  in  numerous  instances  where  debts  rest  as 
an  incubus  upon  religious  societies,  there  you  hear 
that  "  Mr.  A  or  Mr.  B  does  not  pay  his  real  propor- 
tion," and  that  it  "  would  be  comparatively  easy  to 
support  the  gospel  if  all  would  do  their  duty"? 
This  suggests  where  to  find,  frequently,  one  cause 
of  parish  debts. 

Sanctuaries  are  mortgaged.  This  has  become 
quite  a  common  occurrence,  so  common  that  we 
cease  to  regard  it  with  that  degree  of  repugnance 
which  the  true  character  of  the  thing  demands.  The 
circumstances  which  render  it  proper  to  mortgage  the 
property  which  we  have  solemnly  consecrated  to  the 
Lord  do  not  often  arise.     There  is  an  incongruity  in 


CHURCH    AND    PARISH.  97 

dedicating  a  house  of  worship  to  God,  and  then 
making  it  over,  by  legal  instruments,  to  earthly 
creditors.  Where  there  is  sufficient  property  in  a 
society  to  prevent  such  kind  of  dealing  with  the 
Lord's  property,  even  by  the  largest  assessment 
consistent  with  Christian  principles,  the  sanctuary 
ought  not  to  be  mortgaged. 

S*>me  are  compelled  to  pay  more  tha?i  their  propor- 
tional part  of  the  necessary  expenses.  A  few  individ- 
uals in  many  societies  always  have  to  make  up  the 
deficiency  in  cancelling  the  yearly  expenditures ;  and 
they  are  usually  that  number,  also,  who  have  most 
liberally  subscribed  for  the  same  object.  Hence  it  is 
quite  usual  for  a  small  number  of  parishioners  to  do 
much  more  than  others  in  proportion  to  their  means, 
and  sometimes,  perhaps,  more  than  Christian  duty 
strictly  requires. 

Ministers'  salaries  are  unpaid.  A  long  and  tingling 
story  of  neglect,  and  even  injustice,  might  be  told  in 
this  regard.  It  would  make  a  volume  of  marvellous 
interest,  perhaps  as  wonderful  as  fiction,  this  tale  of 
salaries  unpaid;  It  would  disclose  many  necessary 
wants  in  the  family  unsupplied,  worn  and  patched 
wardrobes,  and  empty  bookcases,  because  the  min- 
isters' just  dues  are  withholden.  It  would  contain 
many  touching  scenes  of  anxiety  and  despondency, 
and  many  original  plans  of  economy,  seemingly  pe- 
nurious to  the  world.  It  would  reveal  many  secret 
resolves  to  seek  another  field  of  labor,  unfulfilled 
9 


a©  CHURCH   AND    PARISH. 

solely  through  fear  of  opposing  the  will  of  the  Lord. 
It  would  embrace  many  "  pastoral  sketches  "  like  the 
following :  The  minister,  toiling  away  with  his  pen 
long  after  his  parishioners  are  lost  in  their  nightly 
slumbers,  to  produce  an  article  for  some  weekly  pub- 
lication, for  which  he  receives  a  small  compensa- 
tion ;  going  to  the  store  for  groceries  without  a  cent 
in  his  pocket,  thus  compelled  to  ask  the  merchant  to 
violate  his  rule  of  "  cash  "  or  "  no  trust "  in  opening 
an  account  for  a  few  days  only,  until  another  "  mite  " 
comes  drizzling  into  his  pocket  from  the  collector's 
hand  ;  riding  out  bf  town  to  a  friend  to  obtain  the 
means  to  pay  a  note  at  the  bank  which  he  was  com- 
pelled to  get  discounted  only  because  his  salary  was 
unpaid,  and  for  the  payment  of  which  he  would  have 
ample  means  could  he  command  his  hire ;  meeting 
a  kind  creditor  to  whom  he  has  promised  payment ; 
obliged  to  confess  his  inability  to  fulfil  the  promise 
because  his  parish  have  not  fulfilled  theirs  ;  mourn- 
ing over  a  report  that  he  disregards  his  pecuniary 
engagements,  when  his  failure  in  this  respect  was 
owing  entirely  to  the  non-payment  of  his  salary. 

Religious  societies  are  not  aware  of  the  trials  oc- 
casioned by  such  pecuniary  failures.  The  salaries 
of  ministers  are  too  generally  the  very  smallest  al- 
lowance required  to  satisfy  daily  wants  *  They 
need  every  cent  promptly  in  order  to  meet  their  en- 

*  See  Appendix,  C. 


CHURCH    AND    PARISH.  99 

gagements  ;  and,  having  no  other  resources,  a  fail- 
ure of  payment  by  the  parish  is  more  sensibly  felt. 

There  are  those  who  regard  what  they  pay  a  min- 
ister as  a  gift,  instead  of  wages  for  his  labor.  The 
very  term  which  they  employ  to  denote  their  act  is 
expressive  of  this ;  for  it  is  giving,  and  not  paying,  as 
if  it  were  a  matter  of  decided  benevolence.  Hence 
they  suppose  that  considerable  credit  is  due  to  them- 
selves, and  that  the  minister  is  under  special  obliga- 
tions in  consequence  of  these  favors.  No  senti- 
ments can  be  more  dishonorable  to  a  people,  and 
none  more  injurious  to  the  gospel  ministry.  Does 
the  farmer  look  upon  the  wages  of  a  day  laborer  as 
a  gratuity  ?  Does  the  manufacturer  consider  that 
the  weekly  or  monthly  dues  of  employees  are  in 
any  sense  a  gift  ?  Does  the  merchant  suppose  that 
he  is  simply  conferring  a  favor  upon  his  clerk  by 
paying  him  the  amount  previously  stipulated  ?  Then 
why  should  a  person  regard  his  parish  contribution 
as  a  sort  of  present  to  the  pastor  ?  Does  he  labor 
fewer  hours  in  the  day  than  the  farmer  or  mechan- 
ic ?  Have  none  of  his  parishioners  seen  a  light  in 
his  study  after  most  of  his  people  are  asleep  at  night, 
and  before  many  of  them  are  awake  in  the  morning  ? 
Is  it  possible  for  a  minister  to  introduce  the  "  ten 
hour  "  system  of  toil  into  his  pastoral  sphere  ?  And 
does  it  materially  alter  the  case  whether  the  labor  is 
intellectual  or  manual  ?  We  submit  these  interro- 
gations to  the  consideration  of  those  who  regard  the 


100  CHURCH    AND    PARISH. 

minister's  salary  a  sort  of  gratuity,  and  especially 
to  those  who  feel  little  responsibility  in  the  matter, 
while  yet  they  are  as  dependent  upon  him  in  sea- 
sons of  sorrow  as  are  those  who  pay  the  largest  tax. 

Another  unhappy  thing  in  this  connection  is,  the 
impaired  credit  of  religious  societies  in  which  such 
scenes  as  the  foregoing  transpire.  To  allow  such 
failures  and  disregard  of  engagements  to  occur  is 
so  much  like  the  loosest  policy  of  worldly  business 
as  to  diminish  the  importance  and  sacredness  of  sup- 
porting the  gospel.  Hence  it  is  liable  to  be  con- 
strued into  irresponsibility  by  those  who  are  impa- 
tient for  their  dues.  In  such  circumstances,  the 
society's  credit  wanes  in  a  manner  that  seems  to 
promise  a  lasting  stigma. 

It  follows,  from  such  a  state  of  affairs  as  has  been 
described,  that  the  church  and  parish,  in  their  united 
capacity,  are  too  often  dilatory.  This  is  frequently 
true  of  corporations  and  other  organized  bodies*  but 
it  ought  not  to  be  true  of  the  most  sacred  institution 
on  earth.  The  church  ought  to  be  a  complete  model 
in  this  regard  to  the  world.  It  may  seem  to  be  a 
small  matter,  yet  it  is  sufficiently  important  to  con- 
tribute largely  towards  making  her  "  as  a  city  set  on 
a  hill." 

It  follows,  also,  that  the  church  and  parish  are  too 
often  irresponsible.  They  may  be  composed  of  men 
who  are  scrupulously  exact  in  all  their  personal  af- 
fairs, men  of  stainless  purity  and  strict  integrity,  yet, 


CHURCH    AND    PARISH.  101 

associated  with  others  where  the  responsibility  is 
subjected  to  considerable  divisibility,  the  obligation  is 
less  regarded.  One  waits  for  another.  What  is  the 
business  of  all  is  the  business  of  none.  In  their 
collective  capacity  they  lose  sight  of  what  would  be 
accounted  acknowledged  duty  in  their  individual  re- 
lations. 

Here  is  a  subject  of  more  importance  than  even 
Christian  men  are  wont  to  suppose.  A  little  reflec- 
tion will  satisfy  all  that  the  promise  of  a  church  and 
parish  ought  to  be  as  sacredly  regarded  as  that  of  a 
private  individual.  If  men  may  be  excused  in  vio- 
lating an  agreement  in  their  collective  relations,  then 
may  they  be  excused  in  doing  the  same  in  their  per- 
sonal affairs.  In  the  church  we  discipline  the  mem- 
bers who  fail  to  regard  deliberate  promises,  and  do 
it  justly  and  scripturaliy.  It  would  be  for  the  honor 
and  prosperity  of  Zion  if  churches  were  more  faith- 
ful still  in  disciplining  their  members  for  the  loose 
method  of  doing  business  so  common  at  this  day. 
But  is  it  consistent  in  a  church  to  discipline  a  mem- 
ber for  a  violation  of  a  promise,  while  all  her  mem- 
hers,  in  their  collective  capacity,  have  violated  a  plain 
promise  to  the  pastor,  or  others  in  their  employment  ? 
Might  not  the  brother  under  discipline  with  much 
propriety  hurl  the  rebuke,  "Cast  out  first  the  beam 
out  of  thine  own  eye,  and  then  shalt  thou  see 
clearly  to  pull  out  the  mote  that  is  in  thy  brother's 
eye  "  ?  The  truth  is  not  yet  learned  that  the  prom- 
9* 


102  CHURCH    AND    PARISH. 

ise  of  a  body  of  believers  is  just  as  binding  and 
sacred  as  that  of  one  believer ;  for  the  obligation  of 
the  whole  is  the  aggregated  obligations  of  each. 
The  anathemas  of  an  incensed  public  never  having 
been  hurled  against  the  church  and  parish  for  this 
sin  as  they  have  against  the  reckless  trader,  it  is 
regarded  far  less  heinous.  But  in  the  sight  of  God, 
before  whose  tribunal  this  subject  will  be  reviewed, 
a  promise  is  a  promise,  whether  made  by  an  individ- 
ual or  by  the  church  and  parish. 

The  foregoing  remarks  prepare  the  way  to  under- 
stand where  rests  the  obligation  to  support  the  gos- 
pel. The  gospel  is  a  common  blessing.  Directly  or 
indirectly,  every  person  in  a  Christian  community  is 
benefited  by  it.  Even  the  impious  scoffer,  who 
rejects  it  as  a  gross  delusion  and  imposition,  is 
sharing  in  its  blessings  through  the  improved  social 
state  of  which  it  is  the  author.  His  life  and  prop- 
erty are  better  protected ;  his  domestic  and  social 
relations  are  more  peaceful ;  he  is  himself  more  hu- 
mane and  happier  for  its  diffusion.  Now,  because 
it  is  a  common  blessing,  the  obligation  to  support  it 
becomes  common;  just  as  it  is  with  the  boon  of  ed- 
ucation, for  the  support  of  which  every  man  in  our 
midst,  saint  or  sinner,  is  taxed,  whether  he  has 
children  to  send  to  school  or  not.  Society  is  greatly 
improved  by  its  general  diffusion,  and  he  enjoys  this 
benefit  in  common  with  others,  and  hence  he  is  under 
obligation  to  aid  in  sustaining  schools ;  just  as  it  is 


CHURCH    AND    PARISH.  103 

with  the  support  of  highways,  for  which  he  is  taxed, 
whether  he  travels  upon  them  or  not.  They  are  a 
public  advantage,  an  important  step  in  the  march  of 
civilization,  in  whose  blessings  he  participates,  and 
therefore  he  is  obligated  to  pay  his  proportional  part 
of  the  expense  of  supporting  them.  This  being  true, 
it  follows  that  the  unbeliever  cannot  refuse  coopera- 
tion in  sustaining  the  gospel  with  any  more  proprie- 
ty than  he  can  refuse  to  pay  a  tax  for  education  or 
any  other  public  good.  He  is  under  obligation  to  do 
his  part  in  supporting  Christianity  in  some  form. 

But  that  a  special  obligation  is  devolved  upon 
church  members,  in  consequence  of  their  covenant 
relations,  to  support  the  ordinances  of  religion,  must 
be  admitted ;  for  they  have  voluntarily  entered  the 
church,  knowing  that  God  instituted  it  as  the  agency 
to  preserve,  spread,  and  perpetuate  the  gospel,  and 
hence  aware  that  they  must  bear  their  part  of  the 
burden.  Indeed,  they  solemnly  covenant  to  support 
the  gospel.  The  unbelieving  world  may  refuse  their 
cooperation,  and  for  this  Christianity  shall  not  cease 
to  advance  ;  but  her  willing  advocates  and  defenders 
must  roll  on  her  car  of  light.  While,  then,  this  com- 
mon obligation  to  support  the  gospel  rests  upon  both 
believers  and  unbelievers,  as  members  of  society 
which  it  blesses,  the  believer  is  still  to  remember 
the  additional  responsibilities  of  his  covenant  rela- 
tions. 

Scripture  authority  for  the  parish  is  not  claimed. 


104  CHURCH    AND    PARISH. 

It  is  simply  the  organization  of  necessity.  In  every 
Christian  community  there  are  more  or  less  enlight- 
ened, virtuous  citizens,  not  numbered  with  the  peo- 
ple of  God,  who  recognize-  the  obligation  of  doing 
their  part  in  supporting  the  institutions  of  religion. 
Hence,  as  organization  is  necessary  to  combine  this 
strength  and  facilitate  the  proposed  business,  the 
parish  originated  in  the  good  design  of  associating 
such  individuals  with  professing  Christians  in  sup- 
porting religious  ordinances.  Circumstances  seemed 
to  demand  such  an  organism  ;  and,  since  it  were  im- 
possible to  combine  this  needed  and  proffered  aid 
without  it,  the  parish  may  properly  be  called  the  or- 
ganization of  necessity* 

There  can  be  no  valid  objections  presented  to  the 
formation  of  a  parish,  even  with  no  higher  authority 
than  the  above.  There  is  no  scriptural  prohibition 
relating  thereto  ;  and,  since  it  is  not  forbidden,  like 
many  other  excellent  institutions,  it  can  easily  be 
defended  on  the  ground  that  circumstances  demand 
it.  The  only  direct  plea  we  can  urge  for  the  obser- 
vance of  many  social  and  religious  rites  and  duties 
is  that  of  necessity ;  and  certainly,  if  the  good  to  be 
accomplished  by  any  institution  may  be  urged  as  a 
reason  for  its  existence,  then  the  parish  may  be  de- 
fended on  this  ground. 

Enough  has  been  already  hinted  to  show  that 

*  See  Appendix,  D. 


CHURCH    AND    PARISH. 


105 


every  professing  Christian  ought  to  be  willing  to  bear 
his  proportional  part  of  the  expense  of  supporting  the 
gospel.  This  would  be  to  render  pecuniary  assist- 
ance according  to  the  divine  rule,  "as  God  hath  pros- 
pered him."  Surely  no  plan  could  be  devised  in 
which  the  law  of  Christian  equity  is  more  strictly 
regarded.  It  commends  itself  to  the  conscience  of 
every  enlightened  believer  as  just  and  Christian. 
If  he  evades  it,  he  can  but  feel  conscious  of  a  moral 
degradation  which  is  ever  consequent  upon  acting 
contrary  to  the  plain  convictions  of  right  and  duty. 
How  this  proportional  share  of  each  member  shall 
be  determined  is  no  part  of  my  object  to  say.  It 
may,  however,  be  stated,  briefly,  that  "  some  of  the 
fathers  of  the  New  England  churches  maintained 
that  the  pastor's  salary  should  be  raised  by  volunta- 
ry contributions,  '  laid  by  I  if  not  contributed,  'on  the 
first  day  of  the  week,'  agreeably  to  1  Cor.  xvi.  20 : 
'  Upon  the  first  day  of  the  week  let  every  one  of  you 
lay  by  him  in  store,  as  God  hath  prospered  him/  &c. 
The  famous  John  Cotton  insisted  that  this  was  the 
only  proper  way  to  raise  a  minister's  salary."  #  For- 
merly the  custom  was  universal  in  New  England  to 
raise  the  salary  of  ministers  by  levying  a  tax  upon 
all  the  inhabitants  of  a  parish.  That  what  is  called 
the  "  voluntary  system  "  is  more  like  the  plan  of  the 

*  Punchard's  Congregationalism,  p.  188,  note. 


106  CHURCH   AND    PARISH. 

primitive  church,  as  learned  from  the  New  Testa- 
ment, cannot  be  denied .* 

A  willingness  to  pay  their  proportional  part  is 
alone  consistent  with  the  profession  which  believers 
have  made.  Any  sentiment  or  feeling  to  the  con- 
trary is  a  virtual  or  actual  evasion  of  the  question, 
How  much  does  God  require  ?  The  real  position  of 
a  Christian  who  refuses  to  regard  the  principle  under 
consideration  may  be  understood  by  an  allusion  to 
what  has  often  occurred.  Here  is  an  unbeliever 
possessing  a  deep  interest  in  the  support  of  the  gos- 
pel. He  volunteers  his  aid,  and  is  ivilling  to  submit 
to  an  assessment  upon  his  property  to  raise  the 
amount  required  for  parish  purposes.  He  joins  the 
parish,  and  gives  his  heart  and  hand  to  prosper  its 
affairs.  He  advocates  the  doctrine  that  every  citi- 
zen sharing  the  blessings  of  our  common  Christianity 
ought  to  pay  his  proportional  part  of  the  expense  of 
maintaining  its  ordinances.  On  the  other  hand,  a  pro- 
fessing Christian,  belonging  to  the  same  society,  de- 
clares that  he  will  pay  so  much,  and  no  more,  (a  sum 
usually  much  smaller  than  his  just  assessment  would 
be.)  He  refuses  to  unite  with  the  parish,  lest  his 
property  should  be  taxed,  and  his  quarterly  pay- 
ments be  thereby  increased.  He  exhibits  little  in- 
terest in  seasons  of  pressure,  when  extra  efforts  are 

*  See  Appendix,  E. 


CHURCH   AND    PARISH.  107 

making  to  remove  arrearages.  He  cares  but  little 
how  much  the  brethren  are  obliged  to  pay,  and  is 
not  particularly  annoyed  if  the  expenses  are  not 
wholly  cancelled.  In  short,  his  actions  contradict 
the  Christian  sentiment,  that  each  member  of  the 
church  ought  to  pay  his  proportional  part  of  the  ex- 
penses. 

We  have  thus  briefly  sketched  two  characters  which 
are  often  found  in  our  communities  —  one  out  of  the 
church,  the  other  a  member  of  it ;  and  now  we  ask 
if  the  course  of  the  worldly  man  is  not  more  tenable 
and  consistent  with  the  precepts  and  doctrines  of  re- 
vealed truth  than  is  that  of  the  Christian  professor  ? 
Were  a  stranger  to  be  made  acquainted  with  the 
course  of  both,  would  he  not  infer  that  the  man  who 
was  willing  to  do  to  the  extent  of  his  ability  in  sup- 
porting public  worship  was  the  Christian?  Let  the 
follower  of  Christ  gaze  upon  these  two  portraits,  and 
say  if  he  is  willing  to  mar  his  sacred  profession  by 
such  a  course.  Let  him  see  himself  placed  in  con- 
trast with  such  a  willing  giver  of  the  world,  and  then 
decide  whether  he  is  ready  to  bear  the  reproach 
which  an  observant  public  will  surely  heap  upon 
such  a  character.  And,  above  all,  let  his  thoughts 
wander  beyond  these  earthly  shores,  and  let  him 
ask  himself  whether  he  is  willing  to  stand  in  contrast 
with  such  a  giving  unbeliever  at  the  bar  of  God. 

Of  course,  as  has  been  already  said,  indirectly,  all 
the  members  of  the  church  ought  to  belong  to  the 


108  CHURCH   AND    PARISH. 

parish.  This  appears  to  be  necessary  in  order  to 
apply  the  principle  above  discussed  relative  to  pay- 
ing proportionally,  as  God  hath  prospered  them  *  It 
is  necessary  for  other  reasons  obvious  to  the  reader. 
Let  a  believer  refuse  to  join  the  parish.  If  all,  in 
the  church  and  out  of  it,  follow  his  example,  how 
can  the  parish  exist  ?  And  surely,  if  a  professing 
Christian  can  refuse  to  do  this,  may  not  a  man  of 
the  world  innocently  decline  ?  The  church  member 
is  not  at  liberty  to  set  such  an  example,  in  this  par- 
ticular, or  any  other,  as  would  jeopardize  the  inter- 
ests of  the  society. 

Persons  ought  to  join  the  parish  to  ivork.  They 
should  not  be  mere  nominal  members.  The  most 
disagreeable  part  of  a  parishioner's  duty  is  not  per- 
formed always  when  he  has  settled  with  the  col- 
lector. There  is  frequently  an  "  out-door  "  work  to 
be  done  ;  and  too  often  one  or  two  persons  must  do 
it,  if  it  be  done  at  all.  Each  member  ought  to  pos- 
sess such  an  interest  in  the  welfare  of  the  parish  as 
to  be  willing  to  labor  for  it  in  all  ways  consistent 
with  other  and  superior  duties.  One  of  the  most 
common  reasons  of  inefficiency  in  religious  societies 
is  this  too  general  unwillingness  to  do  a  certain 
necessary,  thankless  work  outside  the  sanctuary.  It 
is  a  work  which  must  be  done,  or  debts  and  other 
embarrassments  will  multiply ;  but  few  there  are  to 
do  it. 

*  See  Appendix,  F. 


CHURCH   AND    PARISH.  109 

This  supposes  a  constant  attendance  upon  parish 
meetings.  It  is  a  fact,  which  has  greatly  embar- 
rassed the  interests  of  religious  societies,  that  very 
few  persons  who  belong  to  this  organization  are 
ever  seen  in  attendance  upon  its  meetings.  There 
are  usually  about  such  a  number  whose  presence 
can  be  depended  upon  on  such  business  occasions. 
The  *  remainder  are  seldom  present,  unless  it  is  on 
some  occasion  to  vote  against  a  tax.  This  is  a  great 
hinderance  to  the  prosperity  of  a  parish,  and  is 
wholly  inexcusable.  There  ought  to  be  more  inter- 
est, more  enterprise,  more  efficiency  than  this.  "  A 
living  dog  is  better  than  a  dead  lion." 

In  this  connection,  a  thought  may  be  profitably 
expanded  concerning  the  relation  of  young  men, 
particularly  Christian  young  men,  to  the  parish.  Or- 
dinarily, few  of  this  class  belong  to  the  parish. 
Custom  and  public  sentiment  may  be  at  fault  here. 
It  has  not  generally  been  expected  that  unmarried 
young  men  would  connect  themselves  with  the  par- 
ish. Its  business  has  rather  been  conducted  with 
the  view  that  the  parish  is  chiefly  designed  for  men 
who  have  families  to  seat  in  the  house  of  God. 
Hence  young  men  have  come  to  feel  that  they  are 
not  wanted  in  this  relation,  or  else  are  led  to  bestow 
little  or  no  attention  upon  the  subject.  Doubtless 
there  are  multitudes  of  this  class  who  have  never 
connected  themselves  with  a  religious  society  by 
joining  the  parish,  simply  because  they  have  never 
10 


110  CHURCH    AND    PARISH. 

tlzought  of  it.  It  is  believed  that  no  class  of  persons 
would  more  cheerfully  combine  their  strength  in  this 
capacity,  were  the  proper  measures  adopted  to  hasten 
this  desirable  result,  than  the  young  men  of  our 
towns  and  villages.  'And  the  object  commends  it- 
self more  forcibly  to  our  regard  because  of  the  happy 
influence  it  would  have  upon  the  characters  of  young 
men  themselves.  To  deepen  their  interest  in  the 
welfare  of  a  particular  religious  society,  to  cluster 
their  sympathies  and  honorable  desires  around  it,  as 
a  union  with  the  parish  would  tend  to  do,  must  prove 
a  great  blessing  to  any  young  man.  He  becomes 
thereby  more  emphatically  a  "  part  and  parcel "  of 
the  community  in  which  he  resides.  He  is  likely  to 
become  a  more  important  and  useful  citizen  in  riper 
years.  He  will  be  more  disposed  to  cultivate  the 
manly  and  staple  virtues  which  society  needs.  All 
this  supposes  such  a  connection  with  the  parish  as 
leads  to  the  same  independent,  manly  action  that 
distinguishes  men  of  maturer  years,  and  not  a  mere 
nominal  connection.  Upon  all  Christian  young  men 
the  same  obligations  rest  as  we  have  seen  to  abide 
upon  Christian  professors  in  middle  or  advanced  life. 
It  is  only  by  a  scrupulous  regard  to  the  principles 
and  duties  discussed  that  the  relation  of  the  church 
and  parish  will  prove  a  blessing  to  Zion.  These, 
faithfully  observed,  will  create  an  efficiency  and  har- 
mony of  action  such  as  will  honor  the  Christian  re- 
ligion, and  cause  the  ordinances  of  the  gospel  to 


CHURCH    AND    PARISH.  Ill 

nourish.  What  beauty  and  power  in  the  united 
movements  of  these  two  organisms,  working  without 
collision  or  friction  —  each  member  studying  to  bear 
his  part  of  the  burden  according  to  the  Christian 
rule — all  desirous  to  understand  their  individual 
duties,  with  hearts  eager  to  discharge  them  —  no 
one  eluding  personal  responsibility,  nor  measuring 
his  own  obligations  by  a  brother's  delinquencies  —  a 
place  for  each  recognized,  and  each  one  in  his  place ! 
How  sweetly  would  this  accord  with  the  peaceful 
spirit  of  Christianity!  what  honor  it  would  reflect 
upon  religious  denominations  !  what  an  impetus  it 
woidd  give  to  the  tardy  wheels  of  moral  revolution  ! 
what  glory  would  redound  to  God !  The  good  of 
earth  and  heaven  would  pour  their  benedictions  upon 
the  union  of  church  and  parish. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

SABBATH  SCHOOL. 

What  has  it  done  f  —  What  will  it  do?  —  These  Questions  answered. 
—  Important  Agency  in  the  Salvation  of  the  World.  —  Hence  the 
Relation  of  the  Church  to  the  Sabbath  School. — General  Co7nplai?its 
about  Lack  of  Interest  in.  —  Duties  of  jn-ofessing  Christians  re- 
lating to.  —  They  themselves  should  be  Members.  —  They  should 
see  that  their  Children  are  Members.  —  Should  be  icilling  to  become 
Teachers.  —  Should  pray  for  it.  —  Not  allow  it  to  supersede  re- 
ligious Instruction  at  Home. 

The  Sabbath  school — what  has  it  done?  What 
will  it  do?  These  are  important  questions  to  be 
answered,  and  the  answer  will  reflect  light  upon 
the  duty  of  the  church. 

The  Sabbath  school  has  clone  ivhat  ?  It  has  com- 
mended the  Bible  to  thousands  as  a  precious  record 
of  truth.  It  has  inspired  respect  and  reverence  for 
the  gospel  of  Christ  in  a  multitude  of  hearts  other- 
wise reckless  of  eternal  realities  and  hostile  to  God. 
It  has  begotten  a  taste  for  sacred  things,  and  decided 
the  choice  of  many  a  child  and  youth  in  favor  of 
morality  and  religion.  It  has  cast  up  imposing  bar- 
riers in  the  path  of  the  early  wanderer,  whose  steps 

(112) 


SABBATH    SCHOOL.  113 


were  leading  him  down  to  death.  It  has  thrown 
effectual  restraints  around  the  heart  of  the  roving 
and  restless  lad,  whose  young  imagination  has 
painted  illusive  scenes  of  delight  beyond  the  su- 
pervision of  parents  and  the  checks  of  the  family 
circle.  It  has  engendered  a  sincere  regard  for  the 
Sabbath  as  a  day  to  be  consecrated  to  the  Lord.  It 
has  raised  up  devoted  and  efficient  officers  for  the 
church.  It  has  furnished  faithful  pastors  and  teach- 
ers to  the  people  of  God  in  almost  every  land.  It 
has  prepared  self-denying  missionaries  of  the  cross 
to  go  through  regions  of  darkness,  scattering  light 
and  life.  It  has  been  the  pioneer  of  the  church  in 
planting  the  gospel's  banner  in  the  valleys  of  the 
west  and  on  the  mountain  tops  of  the  east.  Around 
it,  as  a  nucleus,  have  gathered  the  meek  and  broken 
hearted,  from  whose  toils  and  prayers  of  faith  have 
sprung  the  ordinances  of  religion,  well  sustained,  and 
eminently  useful.  Some  of  the  strongest  churches 
of  the  west,  and  some  of  the  most  active  churches 
of  New  England,  too,  had  their  origin  in  the  institu- 
tion of  the  Sabbath  school.  And  now,  in  all  our 
churches,  it  is  looked  upon  as  the  hopeful  field  of 
Zion ;  for  it  furnishes,  from  time  to  time,  the  largest 
part  of  her  members  and  some  of  the  brightest  orna- 
ments of  the  Christian  world.  Probably  four  fifths 
of  all  the  lay  followers  of  Christ  now  active  in  his 
vineyard,  and  as  large  a  proportion  of  all  the  minis- 
ters and  missionaries  in  this  and  other  lands,  were 
10* 


114  SABBATH    SCHOOL. 

greatly  enlightened  and  impressed,  if  not  actually 
converted,  in  the  Sabbath  school.  This  institution, 
with  the  blessing  of  God,  has  thus  furnished  some 
of  the  most  powerful  agencies,  in  the  form  of  gifted 
minds  and  holy  hearts,  for  the  salvation  of  this  ruined 
world ;  and  it  has  sown  seed  in  the  mellow  soil  of 
the  youthful  heart,  from  which  the  Christian  laborer 
is  now  reaping  a  golden  harvest. 

Where  now  is  the  church  which  does  not  depend 
upon  it  to  fill  its  fast-thinning  ranks  ?  Is  it  not  called 
the  "  nursery  of  the  church "  ?  What  community 
would  expect  to  prosper  without  this  agency  ?  Blot 
*out  this  institution,  with  its  blessed  influences,  from 
our  Christian  communities,  and  how  much  would  be 
lost !  how  greatly  the  prosperity  of  Zion  would  be 
diminished  !  Every  social  and  moral  interest  would 
be  affected  for  the  worse. 

Nor  has  it  blessed  the  church  alone.  It  has  done 
more  for  the  state  than  interested  politicians  and 
statesmen  are  willing  to  admit;  for  every  evil  pas- 
sion it  has  hushed,  every  vicious  habit  it  has  cor- 
rected, every  turbulent  spirit  it  has  subdued,  every 
moral  wanderer  it  has  checked,  every  hopeful  aim 
it  has  inspired,  every  pure  resolve  it  has  created,  and 
every  moral  and  religious  life  it  has  established,  has 
been  diminishing  the  forces  of  evil  that  war  with 
national  prosperity,  and  increasing  the  power  of  gov- 
ernment against  the  workers  of  iniquity.  The  Sab- 
bath school,  wherever  established,  east,  west,  north, 


SABBATH    SCHOOL.  115 

or  south,  is  a  restraint  upon  vice  and  crime.  Fewer 
lawless  men  frequent  the  streets,  fewer  brawls  and 
carousals  disturb  the  community,  and  less  confusion 
and  disorder  prevail. 

Have  not  the  lovers  and  defenders  of  the  Bible,  in 
all  ages,  been  the  defenders  of  liberty  ?  Have  they 
not  been  the  untiring  advocates  of  free  institutions  ? 
Have  they  not  been  the  zealous  friends  of  education? 
Who  is  more  earnest  for  the  instruction  of  the  young, 
the  gratuitous  intellectual  culture  of  the  poor,  and 
the  general  support  of  schools  and  seminaries  of 
learning,  than  the  lover  of  the  Bible  ?  Who  more 
than  he  engages  with  a  large  heart  in  works  of 
philanthropy  and  benevolence  ?  And  who  is  more 
likely  to  become  a  lover  and  defender  of  the  Scrip- 
tures, that  youth  who  absents  himself  from  the  Sab- 
bath school,  or  the  one  who  is  enlightened  and  dis- 
ciplined by  its  religious  instructions  ? 

Who  makes  the  best  governor  or  president  ?  Who 
is  the  more  sincere  and  faithful  statesman  ?  Who  is 
the  more  conscientious  judge?  Who  is  the  more 
trusty  juror?  Who  is  the  more  honorable  and  useful 
lawyer  ?  Is  the  man  who  has  little  or  no  respect  for 
the  Bible  trustworthy  in  all  or  any  of  these  relations? 
Nay ;  but  rather  the  man  who  from  his  youth  has  rev- 
erenced and  studied  the  sacred  Scriptures.  Hence 
this  weekly  study  of  the  word  of  God  becomes  a 
blessing  to  the  state,  by  familiarizing  the  tender 
minds  of  children  and  youth  with  its  essential  doc- 
trines. 


116  SABBATH    SCHOOL. 

Enough  has  been  said  to  show  what  the  Sabbath 
school  has  done.  All  this,  and  more,  has  been  ac- 
complished within  comparatively  a  few  years.  This 
method  of  Christian  training  is  a  modern  improve- 
ment, and  its  fruits  are  the  result  of  a  brief  experi- 
ment. The  institution  is  yet  in  its  infancy,  so  that 
the  full  might  of  its  moral  strength  is  yet  unknown ; 
but  its  achievements  in  the  past  is  the  harbinger  of 
what  is  to  come.  If  it  has  been  an  agency  so  pow- 
erful even  in  its  infancy,  what  must  it  be  when  time 
shall  fully  develop  its  moral  force  ? 

What  will  the  Sabbath  school  do  ?  This  is  our 
next  inquiry.  It  will  do  more  than  it  has  done  in 
past  days.  It  is  just  established  in  the  confidence 
of  Christian  people,  and  better  prepared  now  than 
ever  for  exerting  a  powerful  influence  in  the  salva- 
tion of  the  race.  It  will  continue  to  sow  the  pre- 
cious seed  of  life.  It  will  create  a  healthy  moral 
sentiment  in  the  villages  of  the  far  west,  which  are 
springing  up,  as  by  the  power  of  magic,  on  the  banks 
of  every  stream  and  in  even'  valley.  It  will  raise 
up  thousands  of  devoted  Christians  to  become  the 
able  conservators  of  the  church  and  state.  It  will 
multiply  lay  teachers,  who  will  heed  the  calls  of  the 
needy  in  the  western  valley  and  on  the  Pacific  coast. 
It  will  multiply  preachers  of  the  gospel  of  the  self- 
sacrificing  and  faithful  sort.  It  will  raise  up  scores 
of  dauntless  missionaries  to  penetrate  the  darkest 
wilds,  to  climb  the  loftiest  mountains,  to  cross  the 


SABBATH    SCHOOL.  117 

stormiest  seas,  to  dare  the  thickest  perils,  to  visit  the 
most  besotted  people,  as  the  heralds  of  the  cross  and 
the  defenders  of  the  gospel  of  peace.  Thus,  from 
isle  to  isle,  from  sea  to  sea,  from  shore  to  shore,  from 
the  rising  to  the  setting  sun,  this  agency  of  moral 
power  will  roll  a  wave  of  gracious  influence,  whose 
increasing  aggregate  of  power  will  not  be  known 
until  the  judgment  day.  And  more  —  with  no 
greater  success  than  has  attended  this  institution 
in  past  time,  its  future  triumphs  will  add  thousands 
to  the  company  of  the  redeemed  in  glory. 

Here,  then,  is  an  important  instrumentality  to  be 
employed  in  the  great  work  which  is  imposed  upon 
the  church — .the  salvation  of  the  world.  And 
the  fact  starts  the  inquiry,  Wliat  is  the  relation  of  the 
church  to  the  Sabbath  school?  In  what  light  is  it  to 
be  regarded  by  Christian  professors  ?  What  can 
they  do  to  sustain  it?  How  shall  they  counsel  and 
command  their  children  in  reference  to  it?  Are 
there  any  specific  acts  which  they  can  perform,  any 
measures  which  they  can  adopt,  to  render  it  prosper- 
ous ?  Does  not  the  fact  of  its  extensive  usefulness, 
the  place  it  occupies  as  a  Christianizing  agency, 
create  the  obligation  to  tax  themselves  to  the  last 
iota  of  ability  in  sustaining  it  ?  Can  a  follower  of 
Christ,  pledged  by  the  terms  of  the  everlasting  cov- 
enant to  toil  for  the  spread  of  truth,  —  can  he  regard 
with  indifference  an  institution  so  useful  as  this,  and 


118  SABBATH    SCHOOL. 

withhold  from  it  his  personal  support,  without  in- 
curring guilt  ? 

Questions  of  similar  import  to  the  above  press  one 
upon  the  other  as  we  revolve  this  important  theme. 
They  are  questions  evidently  but  little  pondered; 
for,  on  every  hand,  in  almost  every  town  and  village 
where  a  church  exists,  we  hear  the  complaint  that 
there  is  lack  of  interest  in  this  "nursery  of  the 
church."  We  are  told  that  some  Christians  do  not 
attend  when  they  might  with  little  inconvenience ; 
that  they  refuse  to  fill  the  office  of  teachers ;  that 
their  children  are  not  members  of  the  school ;  and 
that  many  of  God's  people  appear  to  regard  it  only 
as  an  institution  to  keep  children  still  three  fourths 
of  an  hour  upon  the  Lord's  day*  For  this  reason, 
many  Sabbath  schools  are  in  an  ever-languishing 
state.  "  Want  of  teachers  !  "  "  want  of  teachers  ! "  is 
the  perpetual  cry.  Very  often  the  superintendent  is 
compelled  to  ask  the  world  for  a  teacher  without  re- 
ligion to  take  charge  of  a  class  for  whom  he  cannot 
find  a  willing  teacher  in  the  church.  And  when  the 
concert  of  prayer  arrives,  the  precious  season  in 
which  believing  souls  should  unite  their  supplica- 
tions in  behalf  of  the  pupils,  how  often  is  it  true 
that  more  men  of  the  world  than  men  of  the  church 
are  there  !  Who  would  suppose,  from  the  general 
demonstration  of  interest  on  such  occasions  by  the 

*  See  Appendix,  G. 


SABBATH    SCHOOL.  119 

mass  of  believers  in  our  churches,  that  the  destiny 
of  immortal  souls  is  involved  in  the  prosperity  of  this 
institution  ?  Who  would  imagine  that  it  is  an  ac- 
knowledged and  efficient  agency  in  a  world's  salva- 
tion? 

It  is  high  time  that  the  Church  be  aroused  from 
her  insensibility  to  the  vantage  ground  which  God 
has  given  her  in  the  work  of  saving  men.  She  does 
not  appreciate  the  potent  weapons  with  which  God 
has  equipped  her  for  the  conquest  of  earth.  Hence 
it  will  be  my  object  briefly  to  point  out  the  chief  du- 
ties of  Christian  professors  in  relation  to  the  Sabbath 
school. 

They  should  become  members  of  it  themselves. 
We  are  aware  that  good  excuses  exist  with  some 
for  not  becoming  members.  Old  age,  sickness,  fam- 
ily cares,  and  other  things  I  need  not  name,  may 
sometimes  excuse  professing  Christians  from  attend- 
ance. It  is  not  my  object  to  specify  what  may  or 
may  not  excuse  a  Christian  from  becoming  a  per- 
manent member  of  this  institution ;  that  is  a  contro- 
versy between  himself  and  his  God.  Let  each  one 
feel  that  in  this  respect  he  is  accountable  to  his 
Master,  and  that  by  his  own  excuses  he  will  stand 
or  fall,  and  doubtless  his  decision  will  be  on  the  side 
of  right.  Our  remarks  apply  where  there  is  no  real 
excuse  existing.  We  speak  in  general  terms  of 
Christian  duty  in  this  regard,  recognizing  that  excep- 
tions may  exist ;  not,  indeed,  meaning  that  our  re- 


120  SABBATH    SCHOOL. 

marks  should  apply  to  those  only  who  could  attend 
as  well  as  not,  but  to  those  who  might  possibly  at- 
tend by  some  planning,  inconvenience,  and  self- 
denial. 

Make  it  the  first  principle,  then,  the  Christian 
slwuld  feel  conscie?ice-bou?id  to  become  a  constant 
member  of  the  Sabbath  school.  How  beautifully  con- 
sonant with  his  profession !  He  professes  to  be 
guided  in  his  life  by  the  Scriptures ;  how  proper 
that  he  should  meet  with  old  and  young  to  become 
more  familiar  with  them !  He  confesses  his  igno- 
rance of  divine  things  ;  how  suitable  that  he  should 
meet  with  others  to  be  taught !  He  preaches  rever- 
ence for  the  sacred  record;  how  fit  that  he  should 
display  it  by  the  weekly  practice  of  meeting  with 
others  for  its  study  !  He  urges  others  to  attend  —  a 
careless  sinner,  perhaps  ;  how  necessary  that  he  add 
force  to  his  counsel  by  his  own  presence  and  devout 
attention  !  He  would  gather  the  impenitent  of  all 
classes  and  conditions  into  its  pale ;  can  he  expect 
that  they  will  be  interested  to  study  the  Bible  in 
this  capacity  if  he  exhibits  no  interest  himself? 
Will  the  world  sustain,  by  their  presence,  this  insti- 
tution, if  the  church  forsake  it  ?  Rather,  will  not  the 
interest  of  impenitent  youth  and  adults  be  some- 
what graduated  by  the  apparent  interest  of  God's 
people  ? 

The  followers  of  Christ  generally  would  have 
their  children  members.     Know  they  not  the  power 


SABBATH    SCHOOL.  121 

of  parental  example  in  relation  to  any  and  every  ob- 
ject ?  Behold  they  not  the  strong  bands  which  unite 
the  members  of  their  families  as  one,  and  through 
which  every  word  and  act  of  a  parent  becomes  the 
admitted  rule  of  right?  "What  mightier  power  to 
mould  the  spirit  than  that  which  streams  forth  from 
the  parent  upon  the  child  through  all  the  years  of  its 
growth  up  to  manhood?  "  Who  can  contemplate  the 
relation  of  father  and  mother  to  their  children,  shed- 
ding down  upon  them  the  influence  of  their  example, 
without  being  impressed  with  the  importance  of 
every  parental  act  ?  And  whose  example  is  more 
likely  to  be  pure  and  salutary  than  that  of  the  man 
who  looks  upon  the  young  immortals  committed  to 
*  his  care  and  guidance,  and  reflects  that  they  are 
deciding  a  destiny  that  will  reveal  itself  when  the 
sun  and  stars  drop  from  the  firmament?-  Such  a 
one  is  likely  to  measure  the  influence  of  his  example 
in  attending  upon  the  means  of  grace  under  consid- 
eration. If  such  attendance  adds  only  a  distant 
probability  of  moral  good  to  his  children,  he  feels 
constrained  to  give  it  the  full  force  of  his  example. 
His  conscience  troubles  him  if  he  does  not. 

That  children  will  generally  be  m&re  interested  in 
this  weekly  Bible  study  if  their  parents  attend,  we 
think  no  candid  observer  of  passing  events  can 
deny ;  and  this  consideration  alone  ought  to  be  suf- 
ficient to  insure  their  attendance.  There  is  many 
a  parent  who  would  scarcely  know  what  or  how  to 
11 


122  SABBATH    SCHOOL. 

reply  if  a  child  should  retort  to  his  appeal  in  behalf 
of  the  Sabbath  school,  "  If  it  is  so  important,  then 
why  do  you  not  attend  yourself?  "  Every  Christian 
parent  should  be  careful  that  his  example  go  to  sus- 
tain this  much-neglected  institution. 

Professors  of  religion  should  see  that  their  chil- 
dren are  members.  Better,  far  better,  that  children 
do  as  they  please  in  matters  pertaining  to  secular 
pursuits  than  in  those  things  which  decide  the  moral 
character.  If  there  be  any  moral  advantage,  or  even 
the  nattering  prospect  of  any,  in  this  means  of  grace, 
Christian  parents  should  not  allow  it  to  be  rejected 
at  the  pleasure  of  son  or  daughter.  If  there  be  any 
duties  which  ought  to  be  insisted  upon  and  enforced 
by  parental  commandment,  they  are  those  which  re- 
late to  the  soul.  And  yet,  how  often  are  children 
rigidly  controlled  in  secular  concerns,  and  left  to 
their  own  choice  in  respect  to  moral  duties ! 

Children  generally  entertain  many  erroneous 
views  in  regard  to  the  Sabbath  school ;  and  very 
few  there  are  who  would  voluntarily  become  mem- 
bers of  it ;  that  is,  few  would  decide  to  attend  with- 
out some  counsels  and  persuasion.  They  suppose 
there  can  be  no  special  need  of  their  attendance ; 
they  imagine  it  is  not  honorable  to  sit  down  as  learn- 
ers of  the  Scriptures  when  they  enter  upon  their 
teens ;  and  some  even  suppose  it  is  not  particularly 
reputable  at  any  time  of  life  to  study  the  Bible  in 
this  capacity.     Leave  a  child  to  the  sway  of  such 


SABBATH    SCHOOL.  123 

dangerous  errors,  and  there  is  little  hope  of  his  form- 
ing an  unsullied  moral  character.  Parents  may 
readily  eradicate  all  such  untruthful  sentiments 
from  the  hearts  of  their  children  if  attacked  before 
they  are  deeply  rooted.  There  are  numerous  ex- 
amples in  the  secular  and  political  world  to  show 
that  the  man  who  is  distinguished  for  his  knowledge 
of  the  Bible  is  honored  by  his  fellow-men.  If  any 
of  our  prominent  politicians  and  statesmen  become 
teachers  in  the  Sabbath  school,  the  fact  is  trumpeted 
abroad  as  a  very  creditable  thing.  Even  the  most 
godless  news  sheets  never  present  it  in  any  other 
than  an  honorable  light;  thus  indirectly  paying  a 
proper  respect  to  this  noble  institution. 

Almost  every  Christian  parent  has  tact  and  talent 
enough  to  explode  every  such  dangerous  subterfuge. 
And  since  they  all  confess  that  they  themselves 
greatly  need  to  learn  much  more  of  the  Bible,  they 
must  especially  perceive  that  their  children  need  the 
same.  Then,  shall  they  allow  their  children  to  re- 
j  ect  the  proffered  blessing  when  they  please  ?  When 
superintendent  and  teachers  are  toiling  to  gather  in 
the  sons  and  daughters  of  irreligious  parents,  shall 
the  children  of  any  Christian  parents  be  the  absen- 
tees ?  If  such  are  allowed  to  turn  their  backs  upon 
this  great  privilege,  then  how  can  we  reasonably 
urge  non-professors  to  send  their  offspring?  May 
not  the  cavilling  parent  turn  upon  us  with  a  keen 


124  SABBATH    SCHOOL. 

rebuke,  "  When  the  children  of  the  church  attend, 
then  I  will  send  mine  "  ? 

For  example's  sake,  for  the  sake  of  consistency, 
if  not  for  Christ's  and  the  soul's  sake,  the  members 
of  every  church  should  imist  upon  the  attendance  of 
their  children.  Their  households  should  be  ensam- 
ples,  in  this  respect,  to  the  households  of  uncon- 
verted parents,  whom  we  invite  and  urge  to  unite 
with  us. 

And  more  :  does  not  the  Christian  parent  believe 
that  the  influence  of  this  means  of  grace  upon  his 
children  will  prepare  them  to  resist  the  temptations 
of  the  world  ?  Will  not  a  son,  familiar  with  the 
Bible,  be  far  more  likely  to  withstand  the  tide  of 
worldliness  which  sets  against  him?  And  is  not 
the  pious  father  aware  that  tempters  of  every  sort, 
from  the  alluring  angel  of  light  down  to  the  veriest 
demon,  beset  the  pathway  of  his  son  ?  Does  he  not 
know  that  the  most  fascinating,  stealthy  temptations 
are  far  the  most  dangerous  and  powerful?  Is  he 
not  aware  that  even  morality  itself  is  sometimes 
allured  by  the  song  of  the  siren  into  the  haunts  of 
vice,  all  the  while  dreaming  only  of  rapturous  music 
and  Eden  bowers  ? 

We  are  told  of  an  ancient  bay  along  the  Mediter- 
ranean Sea,  where  the  winding  shore  brought  the 
winds  and  waves  together  so  as  to  create  the  most 
enchanting   music,  and  lead  the  passing   sailor   to 


SABBATH    SCHOOL.  125 

enter ;  but  his  vessel  -struck  the  sunken  rocks,  and 
he  speedily  went  down  to  an  ocean  grave.  Fit 
symbol,  this,  of  the  manner  in  which  the  arch-de- 
ceiver decoys  even  the  most  promising  sons  into  his 
gins  and  pitfalls.  • 

Has  the  Christian  parent  no  confidence  in  Bible 
lessons  to  preserve  the  child  from  such  destroyers  ? 
If  he  has,  for  the  sake  of  his  perilled  sons,  for  the 
sake  of  hunted  virtue,  for  the  sake  of  hopes  tempo- 
ral and  eternal,  let  him  see  that  his  children  are 
members  of  the  Sabbath  school. 

The  followers  of  Christ  should  cheerfully  become 
teachers.  Here  is  found  a  very  common  obstacle 
to  the  prosperity  of  this  institution.  Many  Chris- 
tians are  unwilling  to  instruct  a  class.  They  resist 
every  plea,  and  are  unmoved  by  every  encourage- 
ment. They  will  be  scholars,  but  utterly  refuse  to 
be  teachers.  Their  excuses  are  various,  though  the 
most  common  one  is,  that  they  are  not  qualified  to 
instruct;  and  they  never  will  be  if  they  continue  to 
^excuse  themselves  from  filling  an  office  in  which 
they  have  peculiar  advantages  and  inducements  to 
qualify  themselves.  That  a  Christian  may  have  a 
good  excuse  for  refusing  to  teach  here,  we  readily 
admit.  The  •same  gojxl  reasons  that  exist  for  his 
absence  from  this  weekly  gathering  will  excuse  him 
from  becoming  a  teacher. 

But  that  so  many  can  be  excused  for  lack  of  qual- 
ification as  plead  it  we  do  not  believe.  There  may 
11* 


126  SABBATH    SCHOOL. 

be  those  in  the  church  who  have  too  little  talent  and 
tact  to  expound  the  Scriptures ;  (we  have  seen  some 
of  this  class ; )  but  there  are  not  half  so  many  as 
would  be  glad  to  make  this  plea  sufficient.  With 
the  helps  which  may  be  obtained  at  small  expense, 
in  the  shape  of  commentaries  and  kindred  works, 
very  few  of  the  members  of  our  churches  will  God 
excuse  on  this  ground.  If  they  suppose  that  a  teach- 
er ought  to  be  competent  to  expound  the  Scriptures 
ivithout  study,  then,  indeed,  may  they  plead  their 
poor  qualifications ;  and  so  may  the  whole  host  of 
religious  teachers  that  are  employed  throughout  the 
land.  The  best  teacher  is  he  who  studies  his  les- 
son most  thoroughly.  He  may  possess  brilliant  tal- 
ents and  good  sense ;  but  if  he  has  a  pious  heart  he 
will  not  dare  to  teach  the  Bible  without  study. 

I  repeat,  then,  with  the  study  which  every  teach- 
er ought  to  bestow  upon  every  lesson,  very  few  - 
members  of  our  churches  can  be  excused  for  want 
of  qualifications.  They  do  well  to  remember  the 
parable  of  the  buried  talent.  While  they  who  have 
five  talents  have  a  great  share  of  responsibility,  he 
who  has  only  a  single  one  has  just  one  fifth  as  much 
laid  upon  himself.  The  wicked  servant  who  buried 
his  one  talent  seemed  to  think  that,  while  they  who 
had  five  times  as  many  must  do  a  great  deal  for  the 
Lord,  lie  was  excused  from  all  obligation.  Mistaken 
man  !  Why  did  he  not  perceive  that  five  just  such 
men  as  himself  could  do  as  much  for  Christ  as  one 


SABBATH    SCHOOL.  127 

five-talented  brother?  There  may  be  many  persons 
in  our  churches  having  a  single  talent  only ;  but  the 
aggregate  shows  a  large  amount  of  obligation.  And 
the  truth  of  the  parable  is,  that  a  man  with  the 
smallest  endowments  is  just  as  responsible  for 
them  to  God  as  are  they  who  have  received  more 
abundantly  from  the  great  Giver.  Hence  the  issue 
is  this :  If  a  church  has  enough  members  of  ten, 
five,  and  two  talents  to  meet  the  wants  of  the  school, 
then,  indeed,  may  those  of  a  single  talent  be  ex- 
cused ;  but  if  they  have  not  a  sufficient  number  of 
the  former,  the  latter  class  cannot  possibly  be  ex- 
cused. • 

The  prosperity  of  this  institution  in  our  land  de- 
mands that  this  ruinous  error  be  swept  from  the 
churches.  The  history  of  every  Sabbath  school, 
written  out,  would  contain  more  than  one  parable 
of  the  buried  talent.  There  is  talent  enough  in 
almost  every  church  to  render  this  plan  of  moral 
training,  with  the  blessing  of  God,  interesting  and 
prosperous.  But  good  men,  holy  men,  and  praying 
men,  even,  have  been  so  accustomed  to  make  sepul- 
chres of  their  heads  and  hea*rts,  in  which  to  bury 
God's  precious  gifts,  that  we  need  a  resurrection  to 
rend  the  bolts  and  bars,  and  bring  forth  the  dead 
things  from  their  burial-places  to  the  light  of  day. 
Happy,  happy  period  for  the  religious  instruction  of 
the  young  when  every  Christian  shall  say,  "  I  will 
do  what  1  can  "  ! 


128  SABBATH    SCHOOL. 

Happy  day,  too,  for  the  church !  for  the  teacher's 
work  is  an  enviable  discipline  to  the  Christian.  It 
brings  into  healthy  exercise  the  powers  of  his  mind 
and  the  graces  of  his  heart.  It  makes  him  a  more 
active  and  efficient  member  of  Christ's  flock,  and 
increases  his  interest  in  the  prosperity  of  religion 
and  the  salvation  of  men. 

Let  the  Christian  inquire,  then,  "  Am  I  wanted  as 
a  teacher?  "  and  not  say,  "  I  must  be  excused  from 
filling  such  an  office."  If  he  cannot  do  as  well  or  as 
much  as  others,  he  can,  nevertheless,  do  something. 
"What  he  can  do  as  a  teacher  let  him  resolve  to  do. 
Let  him  never  see  a  scarcity  of  teachers  without 
trying  to  add  one  to  their  number. 

Christians  should  pray  for  the  Sabbath  school. 
How  seldom  is  it  made  the  subject  of  prayer  ex- 
cept at  the  monthly  concert !  And  yet  the  church 
calls  it  her  "  nursery,"  the  moral  garden  in  which  she 
cultivates  immortal  plants  for  the  paradise  above. 
The  husbandman  has  a  plat  of  ground,  mellow  and 
rich,  covered  over  with  all  kinds  of  trees,  and  promis- 
ing to  yield  more  than  twelve  manner  of  fruit.  It  is 
his  "  nursery."  It  is  a  valuable  spot  to  him,  and  its 
culture  demands  much  of  his  time  and  attention. 
With  the  gray  dawn  of  morning  he  is  in  its  midst, 
pruning,  training,  grafting,  budding,  digging,  watch- 
ing. He  looks  out  from  the  window  of  his  habita- 
tion upon  it,  and  his  heart  rejoices  to  see  its  bloom. 
How  many  secular  hopes  are  connected  with  that 
nursery  ! 


SABBATH    SCHOOL,  129 

Let  there  not  be  less  interest  in  the  "nursery  "  of 
the  church.  Pray  for  it.  At  the  family  altar,  in  se- 
cret places,  on  all  proper  occasions,  supplicate  the 
Most  High  to  bestow  his  benediction  upon  it.  It  is 
the  Lord's  garden.  How  interested  ought  every 
one  of  his  Christian  believers  to  be  in  its  successful 
culture  ! 

Christians  should  beware  that  the  instructions  of 
the  Sabbath  school  do  not  supersede  those  of  the 
family.  The  sagacious  Dr.  Emmons  did  not  favor 
this  institution  when  first  established  in  this  country, 
on  the  ground  that  parents  would  become  compara- 
tively faithless  at  home  by  substituting  its  lessons 
for  the  moral  and  religious  instructions  of  the  fami- 
ly. Not  that  such  a  consequence  was  necessary; 
but  that  parents  would  allow  themselves  to  think 
there  was  less  need  of  such  counsels  at  home.  The 
results  have  proved  that  the  venerable  divine  was 
quite  a  prophet.  Christians  should  be  upon  their 
watch  at  this  point.  The  Sabbath  school  was  never 
designed  to  be  a  substitute  for  religious  teaching  in 
the  household,  but  an  effective  auxiliary. 

In  conclusion,  I  press  this  subject  upon  the  con- 
science of  every  saint.  Is  not  here  great  responsi- 
bility, imperative  duty  ?  I  put  it  to  you,  professing 
Christians,  who  scarcely  think  of  this  method  of 
blessing  the  young  from  one  year's  end  to  another ; 
I  put  it  to  you  who  have  so  little  interest  in  this  in- 
stitution as  not  to  know  whether  it  prosper  or  not ;  I 


130  SABBATH   SCHOOL. 

put  it  to  you,  delinquent  professors,  who  are  not  a 
member  of  it,  when  you  might  be  there  as  well  as 
not ;  I  put  it  to  you  whose  children  are  among  the 
absentees  when  those  of  your  godless  neighbors  are 
constant  attendants  ;  I  put  it  to  you  who  refuse  to 
teach,  and,  to  your  discredit,  see  the  world  furnish 
non-professors  to  do  the  work  which  you  ought  to 
perform  yourselves,  —  is  it  not  dishonorable  to  the 
church  of  Christ  ? 


CHAPTER    VII. 

MISSIONARY  SEWING  CIRCLE. 

Character  of  Dorcas.  —  Female  Influence  in  the  Missionary  Enter- 
prise. —  Benefits  of  Sewing  Circle.  —  It  affqrds  Opportunity  for 
social  Intercourse.  —  For  intellectual  Improvement.  —  Benefits  the 
Participant  morally  and  spiritually.  —  Furnishes  Means  to  spread 
the  Gospel.  —  Statistics  showing  Amount  contributed  by  Sewing 
Circles.  —  Three  Evils  to  avoid.  —  Levity  and  Worldliness.  —  Dis- 
cord. —  Converting  Association  into  a  Tattling  Society.  —  Appeal 
to  Females.  — Dorcas  a  "  Sister  of  Charity. ,y 

"  Then  Peter  arose,  and  went  with  them. 
When  he  was  come,  they  brought  him  into  the 
upper  chamber:  and  all  the  widows  stood  by 
him  weeping,  and  shewing  the  coats  and  gar- 
MENTS which  Dorcas  made,  while  she  was  with 
them."  *  What  a  eulogy  upon  departed  female  ex- 
cellence !  Not  all  the  inspiration  of  eloquence  and 
song  can  pronounce  a  praise  so  pure  and  honest. 
The  orator  may  be  hollow  hearted  in  his  adulations, 
and  the  poet  may  be  borne  away  on  the  wings  of  a 
reckless  muse  in  his  proffered  elegy  ;   but  in  the 

*  Acts  ix.  39. 

(131) 


132  MISSIONARY    SEWING    CIRCLE. 

bursting  language  of  grief  there  is  no  hypocrisy.  In 
the  sobs  and  tears  of  those  who  have  received  bless- 
ings at  the  hand  of  the  deceased  there  is  honest 
gratitude  and  respect.  The  exhibition  of  the  coats 
and  garments  which  a  benevolent  woman  has  made 
for  the  poor  is  a  fit  memorial  of  her  lustrous  virtues. 
Give  me  such  love  and  reverence  as  the  needy  have 
displayed  in  the  death  chamber  of  their  benefactors, 
and  all  the  honors  of  rank  and  office  may  pass  as 
meretricious  bawbles.  To  be  a  Dorcas  on  earth  is 
an  honorable  distinction,  to  which  every  woman  will 
do  well  to  aspire.  The  Dorcas  of  earth  is  the  seraph 
of  the  skies. 

Little  is  known  of  Dorcas  except  that  she  had 
regard  to  the  wants  of  the  poor,  and  labored  with 
her  hands  to  lighten  the  pressure  of  their  poverty. 
As  if  this  were  enough  to  embalm  her  memory  in  the 
hearts  of  the  good  through  all  coming  time,  there  is 
simply  recorded  the  fact  of  her  humble  deeds  of 
charity.  And  even  from  this  her  name  has  become 
the  index  of  whatsoever  is  lovely  and  of  good  report. 
It  is  made  the  significant  appellation  of  many  fe- 
male benevolent  associations.  "  The  Dorcas  So- 
ciety "  is  a  name  which  defines  at  once  its  charita- 
ble designs.  To  say  that  a  female  lived  "  Dorcas- 
like," is  to  pronounce  upon  her  the  eulogium  which 
Christ  pronounced  upon  the  woman  of  Bethany 
who  poured  the  ointment  from  her  alabaster  box 
upon  his  feet  —  "  She  hath  done  what  she  could.' 


MISSIONARY    SEWING    CIRCLE.  133 

Female  influence  is  poorly  appreciated  even  by- 
females  themselves.  If  I  mistake  not,  there  is  a 
kind  of  sentiment  prevailing  in  their  ranks  that  they 
have  little  to  do  with  the  salvation  of  the  world ; 
that  this  responsibility  rests  upon  the  male  sex. 
And,  on  the  other  hand,  are  not  the  males  too  gen- 
erally disposed  to  attach  little  value  to  female  in- 
fluence in  the  reformation  of  mankind?  Are  they 
not  wont  to  plan  and  execute  in  the  great  mission- 
ary enterprise  without  attaching  much  importance 
to  the  Christian  labors  of  woman  in  her  appropriate 
sphere?  Whence  is  such  an  opinion  derived?  Who 
dare  define  the  limit  of  woman's  obligation  in  this 
matter,  and  say,  Thus  far  thy  responsibilities  run,  and 
no  farther  ?  Indeed,  in  proportion  to  the  means 
and  opportunities  for  usefulness  enjoyed,  are  not  ten 
females  under  as  weighty  obligations  in  the  cause 
of  Christ  as  are  ten  males  ?  Then  does  it  become 
us  to  weigh  carefully  the  efficiency  and  importance 
of  female  influence  in  bringing  back  our  revolted 
world  to  God. 

In  general,  it  may  be  said  that  female  influence 
penetrates  the  social  fabric.  Independent  of  the 
power  of  maternal  influence,  that  which  emanates 
from  other  spheres  of  female  effort  exerts  a  mighty 
power  upon  the  destinies  of  the  race.  Even  a  su- 
perficial observation  will  disclose  this  truth  in  almost 
any  village  or  neighborhood ;  and  what  is  true  in 
12 


134  MISSIONARY    SEWING    CIRCLE. 

this  particular  in  the  humblest  circle,  is  true,  on  a 
large  scale,  of  the  whole  world. 

That  females  are  capable  of  making  moral  achieve- 
ments which  well  compare  with  those  of  males,  on 
missionary  fields,  is  a  truth  corroborated  by  the  his- 
tory of  the  missionary  enterprise.  So  long  as  the 
name  of  Harriet  Newell  is  associated  in  human 
hearts  with  moral  courage  and  valiant  self-denial, 
there  is  needed  no  elaborate  argument  to  prove  the 
capabilities  of  the  female  sex  in  this  respect.  For 
accomplishment  of  good  among  the  poor  and  suffer- 
ing in  prisons  and  stifled  attics  —  for  power  over  the 
hearts  of  the  debased  and  wretched  —  for  the  con- 
sistent living  and  diffusion  of  a  charitable  spirit  — 
there  is  needed  no  other  proof  that  woman  is  not  a 
whit  inferior  to  man  than  the  marked  career  of  Mrs. 
Fry,  Mrs.  Opie,  and  Lady  Huntingdon.  To  the  first, 
a  writer  of  some  celebrity  applies  the  distinguished 
tribute  which  Burke  paid  to  the  immortal  Howard : 
"  She  visited  all  Europe,  not  to  survey  the  sumptu- 
ousness  of  palaces  or  the  stateliness  of  temples ; 
not  to  make  accurate  measurements  of  the  remains 
of  ancient  grandeur,  nor  to  form  a  scale  of  the  curi- 
osities of  modern  art ;  not  to  collect  medals,  nor  col- 
late manuscripts ;  but  to  dive  into  the  depths  of  dun- 
geons, to  plunge  into  the  infections  of  hospitals,  to 
survey  the  mansions  of  sorrow  and  pain ;  to  take 
the  gauge  and  dimensions  of  misery,  depression,  and 


MISSIONARY    SEWING    CIRCLE.  135 

contempt ;  to  remember  the  forgotten,  to  attend  to 
the  neglected,  to  visit  the  forsaken,  and  to  compare 
and  collate  the  miseries  of  all  men  in  all  countries. 
Her  plan  was  original ;  it  was  as  full  of  genius  as  of 
humanity.  It  was  a  voyage  of  discovery  —  a  cir- 
cumnavigation of  charity.  Already  the  benefit  of 
her  labor  is  felt  more  or  less  in  every  country."  For 
enduring  patience  and  all-conquering  perseverance, 
as  elements  of  female  character  in  every  good  work, 
we  have  only  to  refer  to  the  memory  of  Mary  Lyon, 
the  savor  of  whose  self-denying  life  is  yet  ascending 
to  the  skies  from  the  summit  of  Holyoke. 

True,  all  females  cannot  toil  in  such  important 
spheres,  nor  in  such  conspicuous  ways ;  and,  in  con- 
trast with  the  lives  of  such  women  as  are  named 
above,  the  ordinary  methods  of  doing  good  may 
seem  of  little  importance.  Also,  in  contrast  with 
the  large  contributions  to  the  work  of  missions  from 
other  sources,  the  yearly  avails  of  a  village  sewing 
circle  may  seem  as  the  small  dust  of  the  balance. 
But  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  aggregated  lit- 
tles in  all  the  enterprises  of  earth  swell  to  a  sur- 
prising total.  Drops  make  the  boundless  ocean,  and 
particles  lift  the  everlasting  hills.  The  pennies  that 
are  cast  into  the  Lord's  treasury,  if  they  do  not 
equal,  make  no  mean  amount  beside  the  dollars; 
and  so  the  sum  total  of  what  is  done  by  missionary 
sewing  circles  in  our  land,  (as  we  shall  see  in  an- 


136 


MISSIONARY    SEWING    CIRCLE. 


other  place,)  though  far  less   than  it   ought  to  be, 
swells  to  a  very  respectable  amount. 

"  Despise  not  thou  a  small  thing,  either  for  evil  or  for  good  ; 
For  a  look  may  work  thy  ruin,  or  a  word  create  thy  wealth. 
Commit  thy  trifles  unto  God,  for  to  him  is  nothing  trivial."  * 

In  presenting  the  claims  of  the  missionary  sew- 
ing circle  as  an  efficient  agency  for  good,  we  shall 
not  confine  our  remarks  simply  to  its  moral  and  re- 
ligious benefits,  but  shall  also  enumerate  some  of 
the  minor  advantages  which  it  confers. 

It  affords  opportunity  for  social  intercourse. 
In  large  congregations,  especially  those  of  our  larger 
towns  and  cities,  it  is  almost  the  only  opportunity  af- 
forded to  many  families  to  form  acquaintance  with 
each  other.  Were  it  not  for  this  occasional  gather- 
ing, such  congregations  would  be  composed  of  nu- 
merous little  circles  unknown  to  each  other.  There 
would  be  a  lack  of  interest  in  the  mass  of  its  mem- 
bers, and  hence  far  less  interest  in  the  general  affairs 
of  the  society,  because  of  the  numerous  strangers 
who  fill  the  pews  upon  the  Sabbath.  In  all  re- 
ligious societies,  however  small  their  numbers,  there 
is  needed  a  degree  of  social  communion  in  order  to 
insure  mutual  and  general  cooperation.  This  is  had 
by  the  males  in  the  common  intercourse  of  business 
and  daily  toil.  The  domestic  duties  and  more  pri- 
vate  sphere   of  female   action    render   some   such 

*  Tupper. 


MISSIONARY    SEWING    CIRCLE.  137 

method  of  intercourse  essential  to  cultivate  acquaint- 
ance and  friendship  among  the  more  secluded  sex. 
It  brings  them  together,  too,  in  such  circumstances 
as  to  guaranty  a  more  careful  regard  to  good  sense 
and  manners  than  is  usually  incident  to  morning  calls 
and  afternoon  visiting.  It  is  an  excellent  substitute 
for  gadding  and  frivolous  visitation. 

In  the  missionary  sewing  circle,  also,  the  pastor 
enjoys  an  opportunity  to  meet  a  portion  of  his  charge 
much  often er  than  it  were  possible  to  see  them  at 
their  homes.  He  becomes  more  familiar  with  them, 
and,  if  at  all  fitted  to  make  himself  a  congenial  spir- 
it, thus  strengthens  the  bonds  of  mutual  attachment. 
He  becomes  more  interested  in  them  and  they  in 
him.  The  pastor  of  a  large  city  congregation  re- 
marked to  a  friend,  "  It  would  be  well  nigh  impos- 
sible for  me  to  keep  up  acquaintance  with  all  of 
my  people,  so  many  are  continually  coming  and 
going,  unless  it  were  for  the  missionary  sewing  cir- 
cle. This  I  always  attend,  chiefly  to  become  more 
familiar  with  my  people." 

That  a  congregation  will  be  more  deeply  con- 
cerned for  their  prosperity,  that  there  will  be  a 
stronger  mutual  regard  between  pastor  and  people, 
when  a  general,  harmonious,  social  intercourse  al- 
lows few  to  be  strangers,  is  alike  the  dictate  of  rea- 
son and  the  testimony  of  observation  and  experi- 
ence. Hence  this  incidental  benefit  of  the  sewing 
12* 


138  MISSIONARY    SEWING    CIRCLE. 

circle  urges  its  claims  upon  tl^e  attention  of  woman, 
whether  in  or  out  of  the  church. 

Intellectual  improvement  is  another  blessing 
which  is  incident  to  this  missionary  gathering.  Read- 
ing biographical,  historical,  or  moral  and  religious 
books  of  marked  intellectual  character,  is  better  for 
saint  or  sinner  than  the  reading  of  novels  or  other 
literary  trash.  On  a  single  page  of  the  former  is 
more  practical  knowledge  and  refinement  of  learning 
than  in  whole  volumes  of  the  latter  ;  and  such  useful 
reading  is  usually  quite  an  item  in  the  transactions  of 
the  sewing  circle.  It  is  not  necessarily  confined  to 
missionary  intelligence,  but  may  consistently  em- 
brace works  of  practical  utility  and  such  as  are  full 
of  useful  knowledge.  Is  not  here  an  object  impor- 
tant enough  to  demand  a  portion  of  the  time  and 
attention  of  females?  May  not  a  strong,  sensible 
mind  realize  here  a  sort  of  intellectual  repast?  Can 
a  better  plan  be  devised  as  a  substitute  for  the  mean- 
ingless and  profitless  conversation  which  so  often 
characterizes  social  assemblies? 

There  is  a  moral  and  religious  benefit  to  the 
participators  in  the  exercises  of  this  charitable  circle. 
It  enlists  the  sympathies  in  behalf  of  the  poor  and 
perishing ;  it  cultivates  the  benevolent  affections  ;  it 
fosters  the  spirit  of  kindness  and  good  will ;  it  re- 
bukes selfishness,  and  increases  tenderness  of  heart ; 
it  enforces  the  divine  injunction,  to  "rejoice  with 


MISSIONARY    SEWING    CIRCLE.  139- 

them  that  rejoice,  and  weep  with  them  that  weep." 
That  such  is  the  tendency  of  benevolent  associations, 
no  person  who  has  a  proper  view  of  the  relation  of 
cause  and  effect  will  deny.  Hence  the  great  moral 
advantage  to  those  who  meet  in  such  charity  cir- 
cles. The  noblest  elements  of  human  nature  are 
bidden  into  life ;  the  purest  sentiments  and  emotions 
are  appealed  to  with  power ;  the  loveliest  adorn- 
ment to  female  character  is  fashioned ;  for,  among 
all  the  charms  and  embellishments  of  female  char- 
acter, sympathy,  kindness,  generosity,  and  true  be- 
nevolence are  prominent.  All  the  finery  and  tinsel 
beauty  of  art,  and  all  devotion  to  fashion  and  true 
politeness,  cannot  suffice  for  the  absence  of  these 
brilliant  virtues.  And  these  are  the  coveted  gifts 
which  the  missionary  circle  proffers,  in  goodly  meas- 
ure, to  those  who  cheerfully  seek  to  enjoy  its  privi- 
leges; these  are  the  high  attainments  to  which  it 
points  the  woman  of  moral  aim  and  honorable  re- 
solve ;  these  are  the  jewels  of  priceless  value  which 
secure  a  passport  for  woman  into  the  choicest  com- 
panies of  life. 

The  chief  object  of  this  agency  is,  however,  to 

FURNISH  MEANS  FOR  THE   SPREAD  OF  THE  GOSPEL  OVER 

the  earth.  It  is  so  unassuming  and  noiseless  that 
it  appears  to  accomplish  little.  It  seems  like  a 
small  way  to  aid  in  the  accomplishment  of  a  great 
design ;  but  a  few  facts  which  have  been  collated 
for  this  purpose  will  serve  to  present  the  truth  in 


140 


MISSIONARY    SEWING    CIRCLE. 


this  particular.  The  amount  done  by  one  of  these 
female  organizations  in  a  given  period,  as  a  year,  or 
a  series  of  years,  is  far  in  advance  of  our  ordinary 
suppositions.  The  following  statistics  will  exhibit 
what  might  be  accomplished  if  the  female  influence 
of  every  evangelical  congregation  in  the  land  were 
enlisted  in  this  work  :  — 


Size  of  congregations. 

Annual  avails  of  missionary  circles. 

1. 
2. 
3. 

4. 
5. 

(i. 
7. 
8. 

About  225  average  attendance. 
u      403        "              " 
"      450        "             " 
«      350        "              " 
H      200        "              " 
tc      200        "             " 
"      400        "             " 
m      590        «             « 
«      350        "             " 

An  average  of  $175  for  last  few  years. 
m        «          309        «            « 

M            «               ]00           "                 " 
M          «            ]50          «               a 
"        "            75        "            " 
m        «          3)0        «            « 
u        «          450        «            « 
u        n          200        "            " 
K        «          25J        "            " 

The. author  has  not  selected  the  above  congrega- 
tions because  they  are  more  distinguished  than  many 
others  for  amount  accomplished  in  this  humble 
way ;  but  he  has  gathered  these  statistics  almost 
indiscriminately  from  pastors  and  otherwise.  True, 
he  has  not  sought  statistics  in  congregations  whose 
females  are  known  to  do  little  or  nothing  for  benev- 
olence in  social  circles.  The  above  amounts  set 
against  the  respective  congregations  were  not  all  the 
avails  of  sewing,  the  making  of  "  coats  and  garments," 
Dorcas-like,  but  embrace,  also,  whatever  donations 
and  collections  of  money  were  made  in  connection 
with  said  circles  and  by  their  direction.  Sewing  cir- 
cles usually  collect  more  or  less  money  to  defray  the 


MISSIONARY    SEWING    CIRCLE.  141 

expenses  incident  to  sending  boxes  and  barrels  of 
clothing  to  distant  fields.  Many,  also,  hold  annual 
fairs  for  the  sale  of  their  articles,  in  connection  with 
which  considerable  amounts  are  collected  for  other 
things  beside  the  articles  which  they  have  manu- 
factured. Both  of  these  items  are  embraced  in  the 
aboye  statistics.  One  important  item  of  female 
effort,  however,  is  not  embraced  in  the  above  tables. 
Within  the  limits  of  every  congregation  there  are 
more  or  less  of  the  poor  and  ignorant  to  be  cared  for. 
To  supply  their  wants,  the  females  in  some  religious 
societies  support  separate  organizations,  though  in 
most  of  them  contributions  are  frequently  made  to 
this  object  from  the  avails  professedly  collected  for 
the  more  distant  poor.  It  is  difficult,  if  not  impossi- 
ble, to  ascertain  the  amount  done  by  sewing  circles 
for  the  poor  which  they  have  always  with  them ; 
therefore,  no  account  is  made  of  this  in  the  statistics 
presented. 

In  addition  to  the  above,  I  find,  in  a  printed  report 
of  a  benevolent  society  connected  with  a  female 
seminary,  the  sum  of  $271  75  reported  as  the 
avails  of  their  society  in  1848. 

"When  the  Sailors'  Home,  which  was  recently 
burned  in  Boston,  wras  erected,  it  was  wholly  fur- 
nished by  the  Boston  Ladies'  Seamen's  Friend  So- 
ciety, aided  by  sewing  circles  in  the  country ;  and 
by  female  sewing  circles  the  new  Sailors'  Home, 
containing   one  hundred   rooms,  was   entirely  fur- 


142  MISSIONARY    SEWING    CIRCLE. 

nished ;  thus  contributing  the  very  respectable 
amount  of,  at  least,  three  thousand  dollars  (the 
cost  of  furnishing  the  Home)  to  this  worthy  object. 

In  a  communication  from  the  assistant  treasurer* 
of  the  American  and  Foreign  Christian  Union,  he 
says,  concerning  the  aid  which  was  rendered  to  the 
Portuguese  exiles  who  were  driven  from  their  isl- 
and home  by  the  relentless  fury  of  Papal  persecu- 
tion, "  My  estimate  of  the  value  of  the  articles  re- 
ceived during  our  pleadings  for  that  interesting 
people  could  not  have  been  much  less  than  ten 
thousand  dollars,  if,  indeed,  it  did  not  exceed  that 
amount.'"  Doubtless,  for  most  of  this  large  contri- 
bution that  persecuted  people  were  indebted  to 
females  through  their  various  organizations.  It  was 
the  response  of  sewing  circles  to  the  call  of  the 
Christian  Union.        ^ 

The  corresponding  secretary  t  of  the  American  Sea- 
men's Friend  Society  states,  in  a  letter  to  the  author, 
that  a  young  ladies'  sewing  circle  in  Brooklyn,  New 
York,  consisting  of  only  twenty -five  members,  paid 
into  the  treasury  of  the  Seamen's  Society  the  large 

SUm  Of  FIVE  THOUSAND  FIVE  HUNDRED  AND  TWENTY- 
FIVE  dollars,  in  the  space  of  twelve  years.  And  what 
adds  particular  interest  to  the  fact  is,  that  said  circle 
originated  in  "  a  few  girls  meeting  together  to  learn 
to   sew."     In    the  same  communication  the   secre- 

*  Edward  Vernon,  Esq.  f  Rev.  John  Spaulding. 


MISSIONARY    SEWING    CIRCLE.  143 

tary  says,  "  Ladies'  associations  for  doing  good  are 
like  mountain  springs ;  they  not  only  adorn  and  bless 
their  origin,  but  cover  the  valleys  with  beauty  and 
fertility.  A  golden  mine  in  a  country  parish  might 
be  a  good  thing;  a  pure  silver  spring  far  better  ;  and, 
better  than  all,  the  heart  and  hand  of  female  enter- 
prise in  doing  good.  That  minister  is  to  be  congrat- 
ulated, if  not  envied,  who  has  a  Tryphena,  and  Try- 
phosa,  and  a  beloved  Persis  in  his  parish  to  join  him 
in  laboring  much  in  the  Lord.  #  *  #  May 
such  circles,  such  oases,  be  multiplied  in  this  desert 
world." 

Such  are  some  of  the  results  of  female  enterprise 
in  the  missionary  sewing  circle.  They  clearly  es- 
tablish the  sentiments  advanced  in  the  commence- 
ment of  this  chapter  respecting  the  efficiency  of  this 
organization.  They  show,  beyond  controversy,  that 
it  is  no  unimportant  agency  to  be  employed  in  saving 
the  lost.  They  prove  that  it  is  an  association  of 
great  moral  power,  owned  and  blessed  of  God. 

There  are  three  warnings,  having  regard  to  as 
many  evils,  which  may  be  tendered  to  the  members 
of  female  missionary  associations. 

Let  not  your  gatherings  be  characterized  by  levity 
and  worldliness.  While  social  intercourse  is  one  of 
the  valuable  blessings  derived  therefrom,  it  has  its 
limits  of  propriety  and  usefulness.  If  sociality  is 
the  sole  object  of  the  circle,  it  will  be  likely  to  de- 
preciate into  mere  worldly  conversation.     While  the 


144  MISSIONARY    SEWING    CIRCLE. 

meetings  should  be  of  such  a  social  character  as  to 
interest  the  intelligent  and  noble  hearted,  whether 
believers  or  unbelievers,  no  one  should  lose  sight  of 
the  chief  object  for  which  they  assemble  as  a  mis- 
sionary society. 

Beicare  of  discordant  dements.  Difference  of  opin- 
ion may  arise  in  relation  to  plan  of  operation,  the 
style  of  work  to  be  wrought,  and  the  object  for  which 
to  toil.  All  cannot  always  be  suited.  Some  may 
frequently  be  obliged  to  surrender  personal  feelings 
and  opinions  to  the  will  of  the  greater  number.  In 
all  such  instances,  Christian  kindness  and  accom- 
modation should  abound  for  the  welfare  of  the  so- 
ciety. If  a  majority  of  the  circle  decide  to  labor  for 
a  cause  in  which  some  of  the  members  are  not  espe- 
cially interested,  the  minority  ought  not  to  make  it 
the  occasion  for  diminution  of  effort.  If  the  officers 
are  not  agreeable  to  all  because  they  are  regarded 
inefficient  or  otherwise  unqualified,  this  ought  not  to 
cause  any  member  to  slacken  her  diligence  or  with- 
hold her  aid.  And,  of  course,  it  is  the  clearest  dic- 
tate of  reason  that  personal  differences  and  animosi- 
ties should  never  disgrace  this  or  any  other  gathering 
of  females. 

Convert  not  your  association  into  a  tattling  society. 
There  are  nobler  themes  of  conversation  in  the  so- 
cial circle  than  the  faults  of  neighbors  or  the  rumors 
of  the  street.  It  is  not  becoming  to  labor  for  the 
salvation  of  a  heathen  soul,  and,  at  the  same  time, 


MISSIONARY    SEWING    CIRCLE.  145 

talk  into  disrepute  the  character  of  man  or  woman. 
Censoriousness  does  not  greatly  increase  a  mission- 
ary spirit,  nor  exemplify  the  sweet  temper  of  Christ. 
*  Such  license  of  the  tongue  contributes  little  to  social 
and  intellectual  improvement,  and  adds  a  singular 
chapter  to  the  stores  of  missionary  knowledge.  Mrs. 
Sigourney,  in  her  beautiful  letter  to  the  females  of 
the  land,  has  given  utterance  to  a  paragraph  which 
might  be  wisely  incorporated  into  the  constitution  of 
every  sewing  circle :  "  If  thou  art  bidden  to  a  feast 
of  mangled  reputations,  sit  not  unduly  long,  nor  lift 
with  complacence  the  cup  in  which  thy  neighbor's 
faults  are  infused.  Through  the  same  process  of 
fermentation  thine  own  good  name  may  also  pass ; 
for  at  the  wine  press  of  slander  there  is  no  respect 
of  persons.  The  sour  grape. that  setteth  the  teeth 
on  edge,  and  the  rich  cluster  from  the  valley  of  Esh- 
col,  which  the  Lord  commended,  go  in  alike,  and 
the  mingled  wine  is  pleasant  to  the  perverted  pal- 
ate." 

In  view  of  the  great  benefits  resulting  from  this 
organization,  as  now  imperfectly  discussed,  we  urge 
its  claims  upon  the  attention  of  Christian  females. 
Can  there  be  a  more  worthy  object  presented  for 
your  cooperation  in  connection  with  social  inter- 
course? We  appeal  to  you,  Christian  woman,  who 
have  seldom,  if  ever,  attended  these  useful  gather- 
ings, is  not  here  a  rare  opportunity  for  innocent 
13 


146  MISSIONARY    SEWING    CIRCLE. 

enjoyment  and  extensive  usefulness  ?  Will  three 
hours,  devoted  to  this  benevolent  purpose  once  or 
twice  in  a  month,  be  time  misimproved  or  thrown 
away  ?  From  the  numerous  cares  and  duties  of  the 
family,  could  not  an  occasional  afternoon  or  evening, 
at  least,  be  spared*  for  this  important  meeting  ?  Is  it 
really  an  absolute  necessity  that  prevents  your  con- 
nection with  this  circle,  or  is  it  a  lack  of  interest  in 
the  object  itself?  Have  you  ever  reflected  upon 
the  vast  amount  which  females  might  accomplish  in 
the  missionary  enterprise,  if  all  of  them  who  are  in 
our  churches  should  engage  heartily  in  this  work  ? 
Have  you  ever  pondered  the  sum  total  that  would 
be  withholden  from  the  treasury  of  the  Lord  if  all 
Christian  females  should  refuse  to  cooperate  in  this 
plan  of  doing  good?  While  the  devoted  female 
missionary  is  toiling  amid  privations  and  hardships 
in  lands  of  moral  darkness,  shall  not  her  Christian 
sisters  at  home  display  their  abounding  interest  in 
her  success  and  comfort  by  attendance  upon  this 
monthly  or  semi-monthly  meeting  ? 

That  many  can  furnish  ample  reasons  for  refusing 
to  unite  with  others  in  this  capacity  we  do  not  doubt ; 
but  that  only  those  already  attend  these  meetings 
wTho  can  best  go  is  not  true.  The  history  of  almost 
any  sewing  circle,  as  well  as  that  of  every  Sabbath 
school  and  prayer  meeting,  shows  that  some  whom 
we  might  least  expect  to  be  present  are  in  constant 


MISSIONARY    SEWING    CIRCLE.  147 

attendance.  The  fact  is  submitted  for  the  careful 
consideration  of  every  female  reader. 

What  shall  we  say  of  unconverted  females  ?  Has 
this  association  any  claim  upon  their  time  and  atten- 
tion ?  It  certainly  has.  In  common  with  the  con- 
verted portion  of  their  sex,  they  owe  their  social  and 
moral  elevation  above  the  families  of  heathen  coun- 
tries to  the  gospel  of  Christ.  Where  the  Bible  has 
not  shed  its  benign  influence,  there  woman  is  de- 
graded to  servile  obedience  and  the  wretchedness  of 
the  slave.  One  of  the  most  disgusting  and  heart- 
rending features  of  heathenism  is  the  degradation 
of  the  female  sex.  It  is  only  in  Christian  lands, 
amid  the  light  and  blessings  of  the  gospel  of  purity, 
that  woman  is  elevated  to  her  proper  sphere  and 
permitted  to  enjoy  her  Heaven-ordained  amenities. 
Hence,  by  the  obligations  of  gratitude  and  self-re- 
spect, she  is  called  upon  to  cooperate  with  others  in 
diffusing  that  gospel  which  has  made  her  to  differ 
from  the  females  of  a  Turkish  harem  or  an  African 
kraal. 

In  conclusion,  I  present  the  example  of  Dorcas, 
the  "  sister  of  charity,"  as  a  model  of  female  worth 
and  usefulness.  May  females  aspire  after  her  ex- 
cellence, and  pattern  from  her  generous  charities 
for  the  poor.  May  they  render  themselves  as  use- 
ful to  the  lowly,  and  thus  commend  their  lives  to 
the  admiration  of  the  high.     May  they  be  so  mind- 


148  MISSIONARY    SEWING    CIRCLE. 

fill  of  the  wants  and  woes  of  others,  that,  when 
they  die,  weeping  and  loving  crowds  may  press 
around  their  coffins  to  tell  of  the  "  coats  and  gar- 
ments" which  were  wrought  by  their  hands  for 
the  sons  and  daughters  of  penury.  The  memory 
of  Dorcas  is  sweeter  than  even  that  of  Josephine. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

MATERNAL    ASSOCIATION. 

Power  of  Association.  —  Origin  of  Maternal  Association.  —  Design 
of  it.  — Power  of  Mothers'  Encouragement  to.  — The  Opinion  of  a 
South  American  Statesman.  —  Mothers  of  Bishop  Hall,  John 
Quincy  Adams,  Knill,  Todd,  and  Cowper.  —  Benefits  of  Maternal 
Association.  —  Creates  Sympathy  between  Mothers  thus  associated. 
—  Imparts  Knowledge  of  best  Mode  of  Parental  Discipline.  —  In- 
creases Sense  of  Parental  Responsibility.  —  Makes  more  faithful.  — 
Report  of  London  Maternal  Association.  —  God  has  blessed  this 
Meeting  to  the  Salvation  of  many.  —  A  Fact.  —  Statistics  of  Conver- 
sions gathered  from  Reports.  —  Appeal  to  Mothers. 

Association  !  At  this  period  of  human  progress 
we  begin  to  understand  its  power  as  an  agency  for 
social  weal  or  woe.  Scarcely  any  enterprise  is  pros- 
ecuted with  success  until  its  potent  influence  is 
evoked.  It  is  a  combination  of  sympathies,  views, 
feelings,  hopes,  aims,  power,  whose  "union  is 
strength."  It  is  a  confederacy  of  hearts  and  hands 
to  achieve  in  a  common  cause.  It  is  simple,  yet 
forcible ;  unassuming,  yet  progressive ;  more  or  less 
silent,  but  sure.  This  is  true,  in  general,  of  asso- 
ciated strength  for  the  prosecution  of  all  enterprises  ; 
13*  (149) 


150  MATERNAL   ASSOCIATION. 

but  appears  in  a  light  of  special  interest  when  its 
object  is  the  training  of  childhood. 

Mother  !  It  is  a  word  of  peculiar  charm  and  po- 
tency, reviving  delightful  recollections,  and  beget- 
ting such  a  class  of  emotions  as  are  incident  to  the 
thought  of  a  guardian  spirit.  Scarcely  a  heart  can 
be  found  so  hardened  by  a  course  of  vice  that  it  will 
not  yield  to  the  charm  of  this  precious  name.  The 
cares  of  business,  the  corruptions  of  vice,  the  infirm- 
ities of  age  steel  not  the  heart  against  its  power.  It 
arrests  the  vicious  wanderer,  and  sends  bitter  regrets 
piercing  through  the  soul.  It  overpowers  the  Hardy 
tar,  fresh  from  the  rough  service  of  the  sea,  and 
sends  the  warm  tear  trickling  down  his  callous 
cheek.  And  thus  in  a  thousand  ways  the  poet's 
verse  is  verified :  — 

"  And  there's  a  charm  of  sacred  power 
Dwells  in  the  name  of  mother." 

Hence,  combining  the  first  with  a  derivative  of  the 
second,  we  have  an  appellation  which  clusters  all 
the  above  considerations  about  itself,  and  becomes 
at  once  suggestive,  attractive,  pathetic,  and  com- 
manding  the  MATERNAL  ASSOCIATION. 

It  originated  with  Mrs.  Payson,  of  Portland,  Maine, 
in  the  following  manner,  as  given  in  her  own  words : 
11 1  know  not  that  there  are  maternal  associations  in 
all  our  villages  ;  but  I  know  that  there  are  many  in 
our  country,  and  some  in  India,  in  a  very  flourishing 


MATERNAL    ASSOCIATION.  151 

condition.  Our  institution  was  formed  in  1815.  You 
ask  the  circumstances  which  led  to  its  formation.  A 
very  dear  friend  of  mine,  who  died  about  that  time, 
had  often  lamented  that,  in  our  social  prayer  meet- 
ings, children  were  so  much  neglected.  I  was  priv- 
ileged to  meet  with  her  occasionally,  and  spend  an 
hour  in  prayer  for  our  children;  but  neither  of  us 
thought  of  a  special  meeting  for  them.  After  her 
death,  my  husband  often,  in  our  secret  prayers,  ap- 
peared earnestly  to  desire  that  I  might  be  made  use- 
ful out  of  my  little  family,  which  then  occupied 
almost  all  my  time,  and  greatly  exhausted  my  spirits. 
While  holding  my  dear  Caroline  in  my  arms,  and 
thinking  of  my  deceased  friend's  solicitude  for  her 
children,  the  entire  plan  of  our  association  presented 
itself  to  my  mind  like  an  agreeable  vision ;  and  I 
took  my  pencil  and  sketched  down  the  items,  and 
showed  them  to  my  husband,  who  was  highly  grati- 
fied, and  felt  that  prayer  was  answered.  He  thought 
it  would  be  one  great  instrument  in  bringing  on  that 
glorious  period  when  all  shall  know  the  Lord."  * 

A  want  of  the  age  seemed  to  be  met.  Christian 
mothers  in  our  evangelical  churches  hailed  this  insti- 
tution as  the  harbinger  of  great  good  to  the  rising 
generation.  For  a  succession  of  years  maternal  as- 
sociations multiplied  rapidly  throughout  New  Eng- 
land, and,  indeed,  in  all  the  states  of  the  Union,  as 

*  Mothers'  Magazine,  January,  1833,  p.  6. 


152  MATERNAL    ASSOCIATION. 

well  as  in  England  and  at  most  of  the  missionary 
stations  connected  with  A.  B.  C.  F.  Missions.  It  is 
stated  that,  at  a  meeting  of  a  county  association, 
held  at  Keene,  New  Hampshire,  in  1837,  it  was  re- 
ported that,  in  the  twenty-two  towns  in  the  county, 
there  were  then  seventeen  maternal  associations, 
comprising  four  hundred  and  thirty-seven  mothers 
and  twelve  hundred  and  twenty-four  children.*  Nor 
was  this  county  distinguished  above  many  others  in 
this  regard.  The  fact  may  be  taken  as  an  illustra- 
tion of  the  general  interest  awakened  throughout 
the  land  in  this  new  Christian  enterprise. 

The  design  of  this  association  is  Christian  in  the 
highest  and  most  comprehensive  sense,  and  may  be 
briefly  stated  as  follows  :  To  bring  mothers  together 
to  consult  concerning  the  best  means  of  rearing  their 
children  for  usefulness  and  heaven ;  to  cause  them 
to  feel  the  responsibilities  of  their  station,  that  they 
may  discharge  their  duties  with  increased  fidelity ; 
and  to  unite  in  prayer  for  the  salvation  of  their  off- 
spring. 

The  power  of  mothers  is  the  chief  consideration 
as  the  basis  of  such  a  movement.  It  is  generally 
conceded  that  the  mother's  influence  extends  to  so- 
cial and  civil  interests ;  for  the  education  of  those 
who  control  the  destiny  of  the  race  begins,  not  in 
the  school  room,  but  in  the  nursery;  not  with  a  book, 

*  Mothers'  Magazine. 


MATERNAL    ASSOCIATION. 

but  with  the  smile,  the  look,  the  word,  the  spir 
example  of  the  mother.  Rousseau  had  this  in  view 
when  he  said,  "  The  mother's  milk  should  be  the 
milk  of  liberty." 

Some  years  ago,  a  sagacious  statesman  from  one 
of  the  South  American  republics,  who  had  long 
mourned  over  the  failure  at  self-government  in  his 
own  country,  came  to  the  United  States  for  the  pur- 
pose of  examining  our  institutions  and  learning  the 
secret  of  our  prosperity.  One  of  the  first  scenes 
which  he  witnessed  was  a  military  display  ;  and,  sup- 
posing the  enthusiasm  that  prevailed  was  indicative 
of  a  general  passion  for  arms,  he  remarked,  "  That, 
sir,  will  ruin  you.  It  is  the  passion  of  the  people  for 
war,  and  their  reliance  on  the  sword  to  carry  their 
points,  which  has  been  our  bane  and  ruin  in  South 
America ;  and  unless  you  check  it  in  season,  it  will 
prove  your  ruin,  too."  But  afterwards  he  spent  an 
evening  in  New  Haven,  where  males  and  females 
of  the  most  accomplished  class  in  the  city  were  as- 
sembled ;  and,  on  retiring  from  the  party,  he  said? 
"  I  have  found  it  now.  I  have  ascertained  the  se- 
cret of  your  success  in  self-government,  and  of  your 
character,  prosperity,  and  greatness  as  a  republic. 
You  owe  it  to  your  women.  I  never  saw  the  like 
before.  Such  mothers  must,  and  no  others  can, 
make  a  nation  like  yours.  Give  us  in  South  Ameri- 
ca such  women  for  mothers,  and  we  should,  ere  long, 
follow  hard  after  you  in  the  race  of  national  prosper- 
ity and  happiness." 


154  MATERNAL    ASSOCIATION. 

We  are  accustomed  to  speak  of  the  achievements 
of  such  men  as  Bacon,  Hall,  Newton,  Dwight,  Ed- 
wards, and  a  host  of  like  renown,  without  duly  ap- 
preciating the  world's  indebtedness  to  their  gifted 
and  faithful  mothers.  That  maternal  influence  had 
much  to  do  in  preparing  them  for  spheres  of  exten- 
sive usefulness,  is  evident  from  such  facts  as  the  fol- 
lowing. 

Bishop  Hall  acknowledged  maternal  agency  in 
the  formation  of  his  own  character,  and,  on  one  oc- 
casion, wrote  of  his  mother,  "  How  often  have  I 
blessed  the  memory  of  those  divine  passages  of  ex- 
perimental divinity  which  I  have  heard  from  her 
mouth!  What  day  did  she  pass  without  a  large 
task  of  private  devotion?  whence  she  would  still 
come  forth  with  a  countenance  of  undissembled 
mortification.  Never  any  lips  have  read  to  me  such 
feeling  lectures  of  piety ;  neither  have  I  known  any 
soul  that  more  accurately  practised  them  than  her 
own." 

John  Quincy  Adams  once  paid  the  following  trib- 
ute to  his  mother :  "  It  is  due  to  gratitude  and  nature 
that  I  should  acknowledge  and  avow  that,  such  as  I 
have  been,  whatever  it  was,  such  as  I  am,  whatever 
it  is,  and  such  as  I  hope  to  be  in  all  futurity,  must 
be  ascribed,  under  Providence,  to  the  precepts  and 
example  of  my  mother." 

The  following  very  interesting  testimony  of  Rev. 
Richard  Knill  is  quoted  at  length :  "  I  have  a  vivid 


MATERNAL    ASSOCIATION.  155 

recollection  of  the  effect  of  maternal  influence.  My 
honored  mother  was  a  religious  woman,  and  she 
watched  over  and  instructed  me  as  pious  mothers 
are  accustomed  to  do.  Alas  !  I  often  forgot  her  ad- 
monitions ;  but  in  my  most  thoughtless  days  I  never 
lost  the  impressions  which  her  holy  example  had 
made  on  my  mind. 

"  After  spending  a  large  portion  of  my  life  in  for- 
eign lands,  I  returned  again  to  visit  my  native  vil- 
lage. Both  my  parents  died  while  I  was  in  Russia, 
and  their  house  is  now  occupied  by  my  brother.  The 
furniture  remains  just  the  same  as  when  I  was  a 
boy;  and  at  night  I  was  accommodated  with  the 
same  bed  in  which  I  had  often  slept  before ;  but  my 
busy  thoughts  would  not  let  me  sleep.  I  was  think- 
ing how  God  had  led  me  through  the  journey  of  life. 
At  last  the  light  of  the  morning  darted  through  the 
little  window,  and  then  my  eye  caught  a  sight  of  the 
spot  where  my  sainted  mother,  forty  years  before, 
took  me  by  the  hand,  and  said,  '  Come,  my  dear, 
kneel  down  with  me,  and  I  will  go  to  prayer/ 

"  This  completely  overcame  me.  I  seemed  to 
hear  the  very  tones  of  her  voice ;  I  recollected  some 
of  her  expressions ;  and  I  burst  into  tears,  and  arose 
from  my  bed,  and  fell  upon  my  knees  just  on  the 
spot  where  my  mother  kneeled,  and  thanked  God 
that  I  had  once  a  praying  mother.  And  O,  if  every 
parent  could  feel  what  I  felt  then,  I  am  sure  they 
would  pray  with  their  children,  as  well  as  pray  for 
them." 


156  MATERNAL    ASSOCIATION. 

Equally  to  the  point  and  touching  is  the  following 
incident  in  the  life  of  Dr.  Todd,  as  related  by  him- 
self. His  mother  was  deprived  of  her  reason  when 
he  was  a  child ;  and,  referring  to  this,  he  says,  "  I  can 
recollect  that,  when  a  very  little  child,  I  was  stand- 
ing at  the  open  window,  at  the  close  of  a  lovely  sum- 
mer's day.  The  large,  red  sun  was  just  sinking 
away  behind  the  western  hills  ;  the  sky  was  gold 
and  purple  commingled ;  the  winds  were  sleeping ; 
and  a  soft,  solemn  stillness  seemed  to  hang  over  the 
earth.  I  was  watching  the  sun  as  he  sent  his  yel- 
low rays  through  the  trees,  and  felt  a  kind  of  awe 
though  I  knew  not  wherefore.  Just  then  my  mother 
came  to  me.  •  She  was  raving  with  frenzy  ;  for 
reason  had  long  since  left  its  throne,  and  her  a  vic- 
tim of  madness.  She  came  up  to  me  wild  with  in- 
sanity. I  pointed  to  the  glorious  sun  in  the  west, 
and  in  a  moment  she  was  calm.  She  took  my  little 
hands  within  hers  and  told  me  that '  the  great  God 
made  the  sun,  the  stars,  the  world — everything; 
that  he  it  was  who  made  her  little  boy,  and  gave 
him  an  immortal  spirit ;  that  yonder  sun,  and  the 
green  fields,  and  the  world  itself  will  one  day  be 
burned  up ;  but  that  the  spirit  of  her  child  will  then 
be  alive,  for  he  must  live  when  heaven  and  earth 
are  gone  ;  that  he  must  pray  to  the  great  God,  and 
love  and  serve  him  forever/ 

"  She  let  go  my  hands  —  madness  returned  —  she 
hurried   away.     I   stood  with  my  eyes   filled  with 


MATERNAL    ASSOCIATION.  157 

tears,  and  my  little  bosom  heaving  with  emotions 
which  I  could  not  have  described ;  but  I  can  never 
forget  the  impressions  which  that  conversation  of  my 
poor  mother  left  upon  me.  O,  what  a  blessing  would 
it  have  been  had  the  inscrutable  providence  of  God 
given  me  a  mother  who  could  have  repeated  these 
instructions,  accompanied  by  her  prayers,  through  all 
the  clays  of  my  childhood!  But  '  even  so,  Father; 
for  so  it  seemeth  good  in  thy  sight.' " 

The  influence  of  Cowper's  mother  upon  his  char- 
acter may  be  learned  from  the  following  expression 
of  filial  affection  which  he  wrote  to  Lady  Hesketh 
on  the  receipt  of  his  mother's  picture :  "  I  had  rather 
possess  my  mother's  picture  than  the  richest  jewel  in 
the  British  crown  ;  for  I  loved  her  with  an  affection 
that  her  death,  fifty  years  since,  has  not  in  the  least 
abated."  And  he  penned  the  following  lines  on  that 
occasion :  — 

"  My  mother  !  when  I  learned  that  thou  wast  dead, 
Say,  wast  thou  conscious  of  the  tears  I  shed  ? 
Hovered  thy  spirit  o'er  thy  sorrowing  son, 
Wretch  even  then,  life's  journey  just  begun  ? 
Perhaps  thou  gav'st  me,  though  unfelt,  a  kiss ; 
Perhaps  a  tear,  if  souls  can  weep  in  bliss. 
Ah,  that  maternal  smile !  it  answers,  'Yes  !  '  " 

Thus  we  might  continue  to  quote  from  the  testimony 
of  distinguished  men  to  illustrate  the  mother's  pow- 
er.^    We  have  omitted  a  reference  to  the  eminent 

*  See  Appendix,  H. 
14 


158  MATERNAL    ASSOCIATION. 

mothers  of  Doddridge,  Wesley,  Dwight,  Edwards,  and 
others,  because  they  are  more  familiar  to  the  general 
reader.  Volumes  might  be  rilled  with  facts  similar 
to  the  above  ;  for  it  is  a  truth  of  history,  that  many 
of  the  best  men  have  had  the  best  mothers* 

Now,  if  such  is  the  influence  of  the  mother  in  her 
own  individual  relations,  how  great  the  encourage- 
ment for  them  to  unite  for  mutual  sympathy  and  co- 
operation in  the  maternal  association !  This  cir- 
cumstance invests  her  office  with  peculiar  interest 
and  responsibility.  She  has  need  of  the  counsel, 
observation,  and  experience  of  others.  She  wants 
just  such  aids  as  this  association  proffers,  and  just 
such  blessings  as  this  concert  of  prayer  secures. 

The  following  are  some  of  the  benefits  of  the 
maternal  meeting. 

It  creates  a  bond  of  sympathy  between  mothers  thus 
associated.  A  common  interest  in  a  common  and  re- 
sponsible work  is  awakened  in  their  hearts.  Each 
feels  for  the  other,  and  each  rejoices  to  learn  of  the 
successful  efforts  of  the  other  in  training  children  for 
Christ.  This  bond  of  sympathy  is  an  indispensable 
element  of  success  in  the  prosecution  of  any  good 
work.  It  is  the  legitimate  result  of  association  in  all 
enterprises.  Mothers  are  in  like  circumstances,  so 
far  as  relates  to  their  families,  and  they  have  like 

*  See  Era  for  Mothers,  in  the  author's  volume,  "  Hints  for 
the  Household." 


MATERNAL    ASSOCIATION. 


159 


wants  and  interests.  Now,  experience  and  observa- 
tion have  long  since  taught  ns  that  snch  persons 
have  a  strong  affinity  for  each  other.  The  widow's 
heart  is  drawn  towards  the  widow ;  the  bereaved 
especially  sympathize  with  those  in  similar  afflic- 
tion ;  and  thus  on  through  a  variety  of  relations.  On 
the.  same  principle,  mothers  will  naturally  sympa- 
thize with  each  other  in  the  responsibilities  of  the 
household,  and  the  maternal  meeting  will  tend  to 
strengthen  the  bond. 

In  the  maternal  association,  mothers  acquire  knoivl- 
edge  concerning  the  best  mode  of  parental  discipline. 
One  important  exercise  at  the  meetings  of  this  body 
is  the  reading  of  the  best  publications  upon  this  sub- 
ject. Often  various  periodicals  are  taken  by  the  as- 
sociation, and  appropriate  volumes  purchased  as  a 
library  for  the  use  of  the  members.  Each  mother, 
too,  has  an  experience  and  observation  of  her  own, 
as  well  as  orignal  views  derived  therefrom,  in  regard 
to  the  training  of  children.  This  is  communicated  at 
the  maternal  gatherings  for  general  edification.  It 
is  impossible  that  such  a  plan  should  not  be  of  great 
advantage.  In  other  departments  of  duty  and  hu- 
man toil  its  utility  is  universally  acknowledged.  A 
marked  illustration  of  it  we  find  in  the  present  plan 
of  associating  the  teachers  of  our  youth  for  the  pur- 
pose of  imparting  their  experience,  and  thus  benefit- 
ing each  other,  in  regard  to  the  intellectual  culture 
of  the  young ;  and  if  this  plan  subserves  the  cause 


160  MATERNAL    ASSOCIATION. 

of  education  by  benefiting  instructors,  why  will  not 
a  similar  gathering  of  the  mothers  subserve  the 
cause  of  morals  and  religion  by  the  wealth  of  wis- 
dom it  will  add  to  their  experience  ? 

The  maternal  meeting  tends  to  increase  the  sense 
of  parental  responsibility  in  its  members.  If  the  testi- 
mony of  mothers  who  can  speak  from  experience 
upon  this  subject  were  gathered,  it  would  prove  that 
they  have  gone  home  from  this  meeting  impressed 
with  a  consciousness  of  the  obligations  imposed  upon 
them,  and  prepared  to  enter  their  closets  with  a 
humbled  heart  and  stronger  faith.  If  no  other  benefit 
were  derived  from  the  mother's  meeting,  this  alone 
would  commend  it  to  the  female  portion  of  the 
church  as  an  agency  of  great  good ;  for  a  lack  of 
this  sense  of  responsibility  will  account  mainly 
for  the  careless  hand  with  which  even  Christian 
mothers  train  their  offspring.  Few  only  realize  what 
a  solemn  charge  is  committed  to  their  direction  — 
what  momentous  interests  are  involved  in  the  dis- 
charge of  their  duties.  Any  agency  that  can  make 
them  sensible  of  this  must  be  accounted  important, 
since  a  recognition  of  one's  responsibilities  is  always 
necessary  to  inspire  good  resolves  and  stimulate  to 
effective  effort. 

There  are  many  things  occurring  in  the  family, 
connected  with  the  training  of  children,  calculated 
to  perplex  and  trouble  —  many  things  to  exhaust  pa- 
tience and  irritate  the  disposition ;  for  the  meeting 


MATERNAL    ASSOCIATION.  161 

of  which  the  mother  can  bring  no  better  preparation 
than  a  just  sense  of  her  responsibilities. 

Closely  connected  with  the  above  is  maternal  fi- 
delity, resulting  naturally  from  a  clear  recognition  of 
personal  obligations.  It  detracts  not  at  all  from  the 
mother's  faithfulness  at  home  to  mingle  with  those 
of  kindred  relations  at  the  maternal  meeting.  It 
rather  sends  her  home  to  labor  with  greater  assiduity 
for  the  instruction  and  salvation  of  her  children.  She 
teaches  more  intelligently,  she  guides  more  careful- 
ly, she  prays  more  earnestly. 

Since  penning  the  above,  I  have  seen,  in  the 
Mothers'  Magazine,  a  report  of  the  London  Mater- 
nal Association,  presented  in  1836  ;  and  it  accords  so 
fully  with  what  has  been  said,  that  I  make  the  fol- 
lowing extracts :  — 

"  One  result  of  these  monthly  meetings  has  been, 
to  increase  the  sense  of  parental  obligation ;  and,  as 
this  conviction  has  been  deepened,  mothers  have 
been  roused  to  greater  watchfulness,  and  have  been 
led  to  implore  with  more  fervency  those  supplies 
of  divine  grace  which  alone  can  fit  them  for  their 
important  work. 

"  Another  advantage  has  been,  to  strengthen  the 
spirit  of  Christian  love  and  tenderness.  The  one- 
ness of  their  object,  and  its  endearing  character, 
have  united  the  members  to  each  other ;  and  the 
frequent  comparison  they  have  been  led  to  make 
between  their  privileges  and  the  sad  condition  of 
14* 


162  MATERNAL    ASSOCIATION. 

many  others  has  increased  their  compassion  for  the 
whole  family  of  mankind,  and  a  proportionate  desire 
to  turn  their  influence,  whatever  it  may  be,  to  the 
best  account. 

"  A  third  benefit  connected  with  these  meetings 
has  been  that  of  bringing  important  topics  before  the 
attention  which  had  been  too  superficially  regarded. 
Many  have  become  better  acquainted  with  their 
own  resources  and  with  the  talents  committed  to 
their  care.  Others  have  detected  the  cause  of  fail- 
ure in  their  past  efforts  ;  and,  not  unfrequ entry,  sug- 
gestions have  been  made,  and  encouragements  of- 
fered, which  God  has  graciously  overruled,  as  a  word 
in  season  to  those  who  were  weary." 

The  chief  benefit,  however,  of  the  maternal  asso- 
ciation remains  to  be  considered.  God  has  blessed 
this  humble  agency  to  the  salvation  of  many  of  tlie 
children  connected  icith  it.  Facts  will  fully  sub- 
stantiate the  assertion,  that,  in  those  congregations 
where  this  organization  has  been  well  sustained,  the 
children  of  the  mothers  belonging  to  it  have  been 
signally  blessed.  And  that  the  result  should  be  thus 
flattering  might  have  been  anticipated,  not  only  on 
account  of  the  promises  of  God,  but  also  in  conse- 
quence of  certain  other  facts  in  regard  to  his  answer- 
ing mercies. 

It  is  related  by  Rev.  E.  N.  Kirk,  that,  in  a  particu- 
lar church  in  the  State  of  New  York,  several  fathers 
set  apart  one  evening  in  the  week  to  meet  and  pray 


MATERNAL    ASSOCIATION.  163 

for  their  children ;  and,  in  fifteen  years  from  the 
adoption  of  this  plan,  he  (Mr.  Kirk)  was  told  that  all 
their  children  were  converted  to  Christ.  The  writer 
has  recently  heard  a  fact  of  equal  interest  related. 
During  the  progress  of  a  work  of  grace  in  a  congre- 
gation, a  mother  became  intensely  anxious  for  her 
son,  who  was  in  college.  A  circle  of  pious  mothers 
deeply  sympathized  with  her,  and  they  devoted  a 
certain  evening  to  prayer  on  his  behalf.  Suffice  it 
to  say,  subsequent  intelligence  announced  to  the 
mother  that  on  that  evening  he  gave  his  heart  to 
God.* 

True,  here  was  no  maternal  association  where 
mothers  statedly  united  in  supplication  for  the  same 
blessing  ;  but  such  facts  involve  the  same  principles, 
and  show  what  benefits  we  might  expect  would  re- 
sult from  this  organization.  They  prepare  us  to  ap- 
preciate the  following  authentic  statistics. 

The  Maternal  Association  connected  with  the 
Fourth  Presbyterian  Church  of  Albany  reported,  in 
1837,  that  eleven  of  their  children  had  publicly  pro- 
fessed their  faith  in  Christ,  and  several  more  had 
become  hopefully  pious. 

The  association  of  Moriah,  New  York,  reported, 
in  1836,  "  the  hopeful  conversion  of  fifteen  or  twen- 
ty belonging  to  the  association,  twelve  of  whom  have 
united  with  the  visible  people  of  God." 

*  See  Appendix,  I. 


164  MATERNAL    ASSOCIATION. 

The  association  in  South  Berwick,  Maine,  report- 
ed, in  1835,  "  Of  those  children  who  have  become 
hopefully  pious,  fourteen  have  connected  themselves 
with  our  church.  Of  these,  three  or  four  are  looking 
forward  to  the  ministry,  two  are  already  somewhat 
advanced  in  their  course  of  theological  studies,  and 
two  are  in  college.  One  has  entered  upon  the  re- 
sponsible duties  of  a  minister's  wife,  and  others  are 
prepared  to  occupy,  and  doubtless  will  occupy,  im- 
portant and  responsible  stations  in  society.  A  few 
others  are  indulging  hope.  The  whole  number  who 
have  become  pious  since  the  formation  of  the  asso- 
ciation (ten  years)  is  between  twenty  and  thirty.', 
The  same  report  records  the  case  of  a  mother,  a 
member  of  the  association,  whose  intense  desire  for 
the  salvation  of  her  eight  children  always  brought 
her  to  the  monthly  meetings  ;  and  she  was  frequent- 
ly heard  to  remark,  "  that,  whether  she  lived  to  see 
it  or  not,  she  confidently  believed  that  all  her  chil- 
dren would  be  brought  into  the  ark  of  safejty."  She 
died  before  the  consummation  of  her  wishes,  and 
her  eight  children  were  subsequently  converted,  with 
a  single  exception.  Five  were  sons,  three  of  whom 
became  ministers. 

The  Maternal  Association  of  Chicago  reported  as 
follows,  in  1834  :  "  A  few  weeks  after  the  formation 
of  our  society,  our  directress  began  to  feel  the  impor- 
tance of  training  her  little  ones  for  God,  and  an  un- 
usual spirit  of  prayer  for  the  salvation  of  their  souls. 


MATERNAL    ASSOCIATION.  165 

Nor  did  she  wait  long  for  an  answer  to  her  petitions. 
A  few  weeks  only  had  elapsed  when  ten  of  her 
family,  including  her  husband,  were  hopefully  con- 
verted to  God." 

In  1839,  the  Association  of  Dedham,  Massachu- 
setts, reported,  "  A  goodly  number  of  our  children 
have  professed  their  faith  in  Christ,  and  continue  to 
walk  worthy  of  their  high  vocation." 

The  Association  of  Springville,  New  York,  re- 
ported, in  1839, "  Since  our  organization,  (four  years,) 
nine  of  our  children  have  indulged  hope  in  Christ 
and  united  with  the  visible  church." 

In  1838,  fourteen  children  connected  with  the 
Maternal  Association  of  New  Britain,  Connecticut, 
were  converted. 

These  statistics  might  be  multiplied  were  it  ne- 
cessary. The  above  are  sufficient  to  show  that  the 
blessing  of  God  has  rested  upon  this  humble  agency. 
Two  facts,  however,  given  in  the  reports  of  the  New 
York  City  Maternal  Association,  in  1840,  and  that 
of  Surrey  Chapel,  London,  in  1839,  are  worthy  of 
consideration. 

The  first  reports  that,  at  a  regular  meeting  of  the 
society,  there  was  unusual  fervency  in  the  prayers 
of  the  members.  Two  young  men,  just  entering 
upon  the  duties  of  active  life,  sons  of  two  of  their 
number,  were  made  the  subjects  of  special  prayer. 
There  was  great  wrestling  for  them,  such  as  seldom 
had  been  witnessed  in  their  midst.    Within  a  few 


166  MATERNAL    ASSOCIATION. 

weeks  both  of  them  embraced  Christ,  to  the  no  small 
joy  of  the  praying  circle. 

The  second  reports  that  a  mother,  connected  with 
thern,  had  a  son  who  was  a  source  of  great  grief  to 
his  parents  and  friends,  and  promised  little  else  than 
shame  and  ruin.  At  one  of  their  meetings,  it  was 
resolved  to  grant  the  mother's  request,  and  spend 
the  time  in  prayer  for  her  prodigal  son.  God  heard 
and  answered  their  supplications.  At  a  subsequent 
meeting,  "  this  mother  came,  with  a  countenance 
beaming  with  joy,  and  stated  that  she  believed 
the  rebel  son  was  converted  to  God ;  and  she  at- 
tributed it  to  the  fulfilment  of  that  gracious  promise, 
*  If  two  of  you  shall  agree  on  earth  as  touching  any 
thing  they  shall  ask,  it  shall  be  done  for  them  of  my 
Father  which  is  in  heaven.'  "  * 

Such  considerations  attach  greater  importance  to 
the  maternal  association  than  the  little  interest  of 
mothers  in  its  existence  and  prosperity,  during  the 
last  ten  years,  appears  to  indicate.  The  deep  inter- 
est of  former  days  in  this  institution  has,  in  a  meas- 
ure, passed  away.  A  few  of  the  aged  women  yet 
upon  the  stage  still  retain  their  attachment  to  it  as  a 
God-given  agency ;  and  happy  would  it  be  if  their 
falling  mantles  were  caught  by  the  youthful  mothers. 
But  the  ardor  and  zeal  which  sustained  the  enter- 


*  The  author  is  indebted  to  the  Mothers'  Magazine  for  the  above 
statistics. 


MATERNAL    ASSOCIATION.  167 

prise  in  its  early  history,  and  the  remarkable  success 
which  attended  its  beginning,  has  given  place  to  ap- 
athy and  general  neglect  of  this  means  of  maternal 
influence.  Young  mothers,  with  a  few  exceptions, 
do  not  connect  themselves  with  this  society,  although 
they  may  be  efficient  and  deeply  interested  in  the 
sewing  circle  and  other  female  associations.  Judg- 
ing from  such  a  feature  of  the  present  age,  it  cannot 
be  denied  that  a  multitude  of  mothers  fail  to  attach 
due  importance  to  the  maternal  meeting ;  for,  prop- 
erly considered,  this  organization,  having  in  view  the 
training  and  salvation  of  children,  is  inferior  in  im- 
portance to  no  other.  Duly  appreciated,  it  would 
occupy  the  first  place  in  the  heart  of  the  Christian 
mother.  And  here  we  leave  the  subject  for  the 
prayerful  attention  of  those  who  bear  the  burden  of 
maternal  responsibilities. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

THE  MISSIONARY  ENTERPRISE. 

Will  the  World  be  converted?  —  Small  Co?itributio)is  imply  it  will 
not.  —  Contributions  not  increase  in  Proportion  to  Wealth.  —  The 
Pleasure  Excursion.  —  Only  one  Half  Cent  given  daily.  —  Family 
of  Six  Hundred  Millions.  —  Few  perceive  that  giving  is  for  their 
good.  —  Little  System  in  giving.  —  Hammond,  Baxter,  Doddridge, 
and  others.  —  The  Shoemaker.  —  Christians  wait  to  give.  —  Oppo- 
sition to  Agents.  —  Ingenuity  and  Effort  necessary  to  obtain  a  lib- 
eral Contribution.  —  Complain  because  so  many  Calls.  —  Some  plead 
that  "  Charity  begins  at  Homey  —  Refuse  to  give  because  of  some 
Case  of  Itrqwsition.  —  "  We  knoio  not  that  the  Money  reaches  the 
Heathen.'"  —  Some  cry,  "  To  what  Purpose  is  this  Waste  1 "  —  Cur- 
tailing Contributions  instead  of  Expenses.  —  Some  give  only  when 
cannot  help  it.  —  The  Mite.  —  The  small  Gift,  rich  Entertainment, 
and  splendid  House.  —  The  selfish  Christian  praying  t  "  Thy  King- 
dom come."  —  Giving  a  Test  of  Piety.  —  The  burning  Turf —  The 
Soldier.  — Who  is  benevolent? —  Get  to  give. 

"Will  tlie  world  be  converted?  It  seems  too  late 
in  the  day  to  propound  such  an  interrogation.  With 
the  promises  of  the  word  of  God  to  encourage  such 
a  belief,  and  the  rapid  advancement  of  the  gospel  in 
the  last  half  century,  it  may  appear  quite  a  needless 
inquiry  to  make.  Yet,  judging  from  the  reluctant 
response  which  is  given  to  cajls  of  charity,  and  the 

(1G8) 


THE    MISSIONARY    ENTERPRISE.  169 

penurious  spirit  that  still  pervades  the  church  of 
Christ,  it  seems  as  if  the  mass  of  Christian  profess-  . 
ors  had  yet  to  learn  that  the  world  will  be  converted. 
The  marked  delinquencies  that  exist  among  the 
people  of  God,  in  regard  to  the  wants  of  perishing 
millions,  is  not  consistent  with  a  full  belief  that  the 
gospel  will  be  preached  to  every  creature.  A  few 
only  seem  to  catch  the  inspiration  of  the  promise 
that  gives  the  heathen  to  Christ  for  his  inheritance, 
and  accordingly  graduate  their  interest  and  contribu- 
tions. By  the  great  body  of  the  church  the  mission- 
ary enterprise  is  not  appreciated.  As  the  agency 
ordained  by  God  for  the  salvation  of  a  lost  world,  it 
is  undervalued.  The  mass  of  Christian  people  do 
not  feel  the  obligation  to  sustain  it  as  they  do  to  sus- 
tain other  religious  institutions.  Their  prayers  for 
its  success  and  triumph  are  strangely  infrequent ; 
and  their  gifts  are  as  stingy  as  their  prayers.  "  The 
scanty  rills  of  charity  which  at  present  water  the 
garden  of  the  Lord,  and  the  ingenuity  and  effort  em- 
ployed to  bring  them  there,  compared  with  the  al- 
most undiminished  tide  of  selfish  expenditure  which 
still  holds  on  its  original  course,  remind  one  of  the 
slender  rivulets  which  the  inhabitants  of  the  East 
raise  from  a  river,  by  mechanical  force,  to  irrigate 
their  thirsty  gardens  ;  the  mighty  current,  meanwhile, 
without  exhibiting  any  sensible  diminution  of  its  wa- 
ters, sweeping  on  in  its  ample  and  ancient  bed  to  the 
15 


170  THE    MISSIONARY    ENTERPRISE. 

ocean."  #  A  greater  sin  does  not  mar  the  reputation 
of  the  church  at  the  present  day  than  that  of  penuri- 
ous giving.  The  car  of  salvation  is  impeded  by  the 
covetous  spirit  that  prevails  more  than  by  the  down- 
right opposition  of  the  heathen  world.  Religion 
languishes  in  the  church  because  of  the  lack  of  be- 
nevolence among  professing  Christians  more  than 
from  the  abounding  of  hostility  among  the  enemies 
of  God ;  for  it  is  always  true  that  generous  giving 
leaves  more  than  half  the  blessing  at  home,  while  it 
conveys  a  noble  spiritual  largess  abroad,  as  is  plainly 
taught  by  the  words,  "  It  is  more  blessed  to  give  than 
to  receive."  This  divine  declaration  is  professedly 
believed  by  all  the  children  of  God ;  but,  alas !  how 
few  seek  to  verify  it  by  personal  experiment !  To 
how  many  is  it  a  profound  riddle,  awakening  little 
curiosity  to  effect  its  solution  !  By  the  liberal  and 
even  lavish  expenditure  that  is  made  for  external 
decorations,  appetite,  comfort,  and  fashion,  it  seems 
as  if  multitudes  of  Christ's  flock  disbelieved  it,  and 
were  fully  set  upon  proving  it  a  lie.  Self  is  the  idol 
before  which  many  of  the  Lord's  followers  bow  with 
their  costliest  offerings.  "  Self  is  Dives  in  the  man- 
sion, clothed  in  purple,  and  faring  sumptuously  every 
day.  The  cause  of  Christ  is  Lazarus,  lying  at  his 
gate,  and  fed  only  with  the  crums  which  fall  from 
his  table."  t 

*  Mammon,  p.  202.  f  Ibid.,  p.  52. 


THE    MISSIONARY    ENTERPRISE.  171 

We  profess  to  believe  that  all  our  possessions  be- 
long to  Christ  —  talents,  time,  influence,  wealth,  all. 
We  acknowledge  ourselves  to  be  the  stewards  of 
God,  obligated  to  dispense  his  bounties  according  to 
his  direction;  and  yet  we  employ  them  with  little 
regard  to  the  pressing  wants  of  the  needy  or  the  de- 
mands of  our  Master.  The  superscription  which  we 
profess  to  stamp  upon  every  coin  is  Christ's,  and 
still  we  use  them  as  if  they  bore  the  image  and 
superscription  of  Csesar.  With  a  small  part  of  the 
cheerfulness  with  which  Christ  surrendered  life  it- 
self for  the  souls  of  men,  we  part  with  our  dollars 
and  shillings  for  the  same  object.  Contrasted  with 
his  willingness  in  pouring  out  his  precious  blood  for 
a  world  lying  in  wickedness,  how  miserably  poor  and 
meagre  are  our  reluctant  offerings  to  his  cause ! 
When  we  contemplate  his  benevolent  acts  from 
the  manger  to  the  cross,  it  seems  as  if  no  language 
of  rebuke  were  too  severe  to  chastise  us  for  our  self- 
ish policy. 

It  is  true  that  the  contributions  to  the  various  be- 
nevolent societies  amount  to  a  much  larger  sum  at 
the  present  than  at  any  former  period.  Here  and 
there  a  man  of  wealth  is  exceedingly  munificent  in 
his  donations;  and  some  of  moderate  possessions, 
and  even  in  straitened  circumstances,  are  liberal  in 
the  gifts  which  they  cast  into  the  Lord's  treasury ; 
but  the  increase  of  benevolence  is  not  proportioned 
to  the  increase  of  wealth.     The  self-denial  that  was 


172  THE    MISSIONARY    ENTERPRISE. 

practised  thirty  years  ago,  in  the  comparatively  small 
collections  then  made,  was  equal,  if,  indeed,  it  did 
not  exceed,  the  self-denial  incident  to  the  larger  con- 
tributions of  the  present  day.  There  are  those  in 
the  Christian  church  who  pay  more  annually  for  ci- 
gars and  the  noxious  weed  than  they  contribute  to 
benevolent  objects.  There  are  many  more  who  ex- 
pend a  larger  sum  in  a  single  pleasure  excursion 
than  they  give  in  three  or  even  five  years  to  the  poor 
and  perishing.  The  writer  recently  learned  this  fact. 
A  Christian  young  man,  connected  with  an  extensive 
mercantile  house  in  the  city  of  Boston,  where  he 
received  a  large  salary,  spent  his  last  summer's  va- 
cation in  tin  excursion  to  a  popular  wateriug-place. 
Some  weeks  after  his  return,  one  of  his  fellow- 
clerks,  whose  benevolence  was  well  known,  called 
upon  him  for  a  contribution  in  behalf  of  a  poor,  suf- 
fering woman,  with  whose  condition  he  had  become 
acquainted.  The  young  man  declined  giving,  as- 
signing as  the  reason,  "My  excursion  in  the  summer 
cost  me  severity -jive  dollars:'  It  is  a  fair  illustration  of 
a  large  class  of  inconsistent  professors,  who  cheat 
God  out  of  his  rightful  possessions  in  order  to  forego 
self-denial  and  pander  to  the  love  of  pleasure. 

It  is  said  that  the  entire  contribution  of  the  church- 
es connected  with  the  A.  B.  C.  F.  M.  amounts  to  no 
more  than  one  fourth  of  a  cent  daily  for  each  member. 
What  a  mere  pittance  in  contrast  with  the  wealth 
in   the   possession  of  professing-  Christians !     One 


THE    MISSIONARY    ENTERPRISE.  173 

fourth  of  a  cent  daily  !  far  less  than  the  amount 
toasted  in  the  religious  families  of  the  land.  From 
the  superfluities  of  Christian  people  might  be  spared 
a  sum  vastly  greater  than  this,  without  diminishing 
their  enjoyments,  or  being  accounted  in  any  sense  a 
loss.  One  fourth  of  a  cent  daily  !  What  a  vin- 
dication of  the  charge  we  bring  against  the  church 
of  Christ !  what  a  stain  upon  the  Christian  name ! 
what  a  caricature  upon  the  Christian  profession,  that 
all  our  wealth  belongs  to  Christ !  Is  there  self-de- 
nial in  this  stinted  benevolence  beyond  that  prac- 
tised in  the  days  of  our  fathers  ?  Nay,  is  there 
any  sacrifice  in  such  meagre  offerings  that  deserves 
to  be  called  self-denial  ?  There  is  only  one  reply  to 
such  interrogatives  —  only  one  opinion  of  such  a 
fact  can  be  entertained.  It  is  a  dishonor  to  the 
cause  of  Christ;  it  is  a  sin  of  no  ordinary  degree  ;  it 
can  be  washed  away  only  by  tears  of  penitence  and 
a  larger  charity. 

A  pious  gentleman,  who  had  accumulated  much 
property  in  a  successful  business,  was  asked  by  a 
clergyman  if  he  had  not  amassed  enough  for  his 
family,  sa  that  he  might  retire  from  business.  "O," 
he  replied,  "  I  have  not  yet  made  enough  to  give 
each  of  my  children  a  single  leaf  of  the  catechism." 
"  Why,"  inquired  the  minister,  "  how  large  is  your 
family  ? "  "  About  six  hundred  millions,"  was  his 
reply.  It  is  the  lack  of  such  a  spirit  as  -this  of  which 
the  church  is  guilty.  The  members  of  Christ's  flock 
15* 


174  THE    MISSIONARY    ENTERPRISE. 

who  take  this  kindly  view  of  a  perishing  world  are 
few  in  number,  and  all  the  actual  self-denial  of  the 
present  age  is  practised  by  that  few ;  so  that  we  in- 
sist that  self-denial  was  never  rarer  than  at  present. 

That  the  church  at  the  present  day  is  as  delinquent 
in  regard  to  the  missionary  enterprise  as  has  been 
alleged,  may  appear  from  the  following  specifica- 
tions, to  the  truth  of  which  every  reader  will  attest. 

Few  realize  that  God  requires  giving  for  their  own 
good.  He  might  have  so  provided  for  the  human 
family  that  all  their  wants  would  have  been  supplied 
without  the  aid  of  charity ;  but  he  saw  that  it  was 
best  for  all  to  have  the  poor  always  with  them  ;  for,  in 
blessing  them,  the  benefactors  are  especially  blessed. 
It  is  said  of  a  traveller  upon  the  Alps,  that,  while 
chilled  well  nigh  to  freezing  by  the  excessive  cold, 
his  companion  sunk  down  in  the  snow  by  his  side, 
unable  longer  to  resist  the  keenness  of  the  winter's 
blast.  At  once  he  began  to  rub  his  limbs  and  body, 
in  order  to  restore  their  warmth  and  save  the  ex- 
hausted man  from  death,  and  the  effort  of  resusci- 
tating his  fallen  companion  brought  back  the  heat  to 
his  own  system ;  so  that,  while  he  restored.his  asso- 
ciate, he  saved  his  own  life.  It  is  an  illustration  of 
God's  plan  to  cultivate  the  spirituality  of  his  chil- 
dren. While  they  bear  spiritual  life,  by  self-deny- 
ing efforts,  to  the  lost,  they  are  making  rapid  ad- 
vancement in  the  divine  life  themselves.  In  saving 
others,  they  save  themselves  ;  yet  few  regard  the 


THE    MISSIONARY    ENTERPRISE.  175 

matter  in  this  light.  They  are  far  from  viewing  this 
part  of  a  Christian's  duty  as  a  necessary  and  valua- 
ble discipline.  The  whole  system  of  benevolence 
is,  to  the  mass,  rather  an  evil  incident  to  the  pres- 
ent condition  of  the  world.  They  submit  to  it  as 
they  do  to  disappointments  and  chronic  pains,  una- 
voidable and  painful  parts  of  human  experience, 
endured,  though  unwelcome.  "  So  many  calls  ;  so 
much  to  be  given ;  what  are  we  coming  to  ?  more 
and  more  every  year ;  what  a  burden  !  "  These  are 
the  imbodiment  of  thoughts  which  occupy  the  minds 
of  multitudes,  instead  of  that  more  delightful  view, 
that  clothes  every  call  for  aid  in  the  robes  of  an  angel 
helper.  The  Christian  who  has  proper  views  of 
God's  plan  of  benevolence  will  hail  every  new  open- 
ing in  the  moral  wilderness  as  a  fresh  opportunity  for 
him  to  improve  his  already  shining  graces  ;  and  the 
feeble  church,  with  such  a  view  of  the  missionary 
enterprise,  will  not  ask  to  be  excused  from  giving, 
because  the  benevolent  act  will  be  attended  with 
advancement  in  holiness,  even  though  her  proper 
proportion  be  only  a  mite.  Her  members  will  de- 
light to  bring  their  little  from  their  lot  of  poverty  for 
the  sake  of  the  resulting  holiness.  A  single  dollar 
may  be  the  extent  of  their  ability,  and  the  contribu- 
tion will  be  attended  with  as  great  a  spiritual  bless- 
ing as  the  just  and  larger  gift  of  a  more  wealthy 
church.     The  truth  is  sufficient  to  silence  forever 


176  THE    MISSIONARY    ENTERPRISE. 

the  oft-reiterated  excuse  of  feeble  churches, "  Too 
poor  to  give"  * 

There  is  little  system  in  giving.  Very  few  Chris- 
tians sit  down  to  settle  the  question,  how  much  they 
can  possibly  contribute  annually,  nor  how  that  an- 
nual amount  shall  be  distributed.  A  few  only  make 
any  provision  beforehand  for  the  demands  of  chari- 
ty. They  may  give,  and  that,  too,  with  quite  a  lib- 
eral hand ;  but  they  decide  only  upon  the  emergency 
of  the  case.  If  they  are  flushed  with  money  at  the 
time  the  appeal  is  made,  their  gifts  may  be  veiy 
generous.  If  their  purses  are  lean,  the  fact  is  pro- 
claimed by  their  stinted  contribution.  In  this  way 
much  is  lost  to  the  missionary  enterprise  ;  for  system 
only  insures  such  economy  as  will  lay  in  store  liberal 
sums  for  the  Lord. 

What  we  mean  by  systematic  giving  may  be 
learned  from  the  following  facts.  Hev.  Dr.  Ham- 
mond and  Lord  Chief  Justice  Hale,  not  to  mention 
others,  were  wont  to  contribute  one  tenth  part  of  their 
annual  income  to  benevolent  societies.  Baxter  ob- 
served this  rule  until  he  was  impressed  that  duty 
required  of  him  larger  contributions  ;  and  he  ob- 
served of  the  rule,  "  I  think,  however,  that  it  is  as 
likely  a  proportion  as  can  be  prescribed,  and  that 

*  After  the  Hindoos  have  gathered  the  harvest  and  threshed  the 
grain,  before  removing  it  to  the  market  or  granary,  they  take  out 
the  portion  for  their  god.  Whether  poor,  or  in  debt,  or  however 
small  the  crop  may  be,  the  god's  portion  is  first  given. 


THE    MISSIONARY    ENTERPRISE.  177 

devoting  a  tenth  part,  ordinarily,  to  God,  is  a  matter 
that  Ave  have  more  than  human  direction  for."  Dod- 
dridge said, "  I  make  a  solemn  dedication  of  one  tenth 
of  my  estate,  salary  and  income,  to  charitable  uses. 
I  also  devote  to  such  uses  an  eighth  of  every  thing  I 
receive  by  way  of  gift  or  present."  Dr.  Watts  gave 
a  fifth  Part  °f  ms  income  ;  the  wife  of  B,ev.  Dr.  Bury 
gave  a  fourth  part.  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Ptowe  said,  "  I 
consecrate  half  of  my  yearly  income  to  charitable 
purposes ;  yea,  all  that  I  have  beyond  the  bare  con- 
veniences and  necessaries  of  life  shall  surely  be  the 
Lord's."  Also,  Hon.  Robert  Boyle  and  Rev.  Mr. 
Brand  devoted  half  of  their  annual  income  to  objects 
of  benevolence. 

A  shoemaker  of  New  Jersey,  distinguished  for  his 
generous  donations  to  the  different  benevolent  so- 
cieties, replied  to  the  inquiry,  how  he  managed  to 
give  so  much,  "I  earn,  one  day  with  another,  about 
a  dollar  a  day ;  and  I  can,  without  inconvenience  to 
myself  or  family,  lay  by  rive  cents  of  this  sum  for 
charitable  purposes  ;  the  amount  is  thirty  cents  a 
week.  My  wife  takes  in  sewing  and  washing,  and 
earns  something  like  two  dollars  a  week ;  and  she 
lays  by  ten  cents  of  that.  My  children,  each  of  them, 
earn  a  shilling  or  two,  and  are  glad  to  contribute 
their  penny  ;  so  that,  altogether,  we  lay  by  us  in  store 
forty  cents  a  week ;  and  if  we  have  been  unusually 
prosperous,  we  contribute  something  more.  The 
weekly  amount  is  deposited  every  Sabbath  morning 


178  THE    MISSIONARY    ENTERPRISE. 

in  a  box  kept  for  that  purpose,  and  reserved  for  fu- 
ture use.  Thus,  by  these  small  earnings,  we  have 
learned  that  it  is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  re- 
ceive. The  yearly  amount  saved  in  this  way  is 
about  twenty-five  dollars;  and  I  distribute  this  among 
the  various  benevolent  societies  according  to  the 
best  of  my  judgment." 

Suclj  examples  illustrate  what  we  mean  by  sys- 
tematic benevolence.  They  are  a  fulfilment  of  the 
divine  commandment :  "  Upon  the  first  day  of  the 
week  let  every  one  of  you  lay  by  him  in  store  as 
God  hath  prospered  him."  *  The  injunction  is  sup- 
posed to  enforce  the  duty  of  setting  apart  every 
Sabbath,  or  at  other  stated  periods,  a  portion  of  one's 
income  for  benevolent  objects.  Since  every  one 
might  not  be  able  to  judge  weekly  of  his  prosperity, 
the  injunction  is  not  believed  to  confine  the  setting 
apart  of  a  definite  portion  to  the  first  day  of  the  week, 
but  is  rather  designed  to  teach  the  duty  of  doing  it 
at  some  time  statedly;  in  other  words,  to  observe 
some  rule  and  time  of  systematic  giving.  It  is  such 
benevolence  as  this  that  we  assert  to  be  rare.  It  is 
wholly  because  of  its  rarity  that  such  examples  as 
the  above  are  considered  worthy  of  record  and  com- 
ment in  news  sheets  and  printed  volumes.  The 
persons  in  the  land  who  actually  regard  the  scriptural 
rule  of  periodical  giving  are  scarcely  more  than  one 

*  1  Cor.  xyi.  2. 


THE    MISSIONARY    ENTERPRISE. 


179 


to  a  church.  A  very  few  churches  only,  as  a  body, 
have  adopted  any  system  like  the  following,  which 
is  observed  by  a  church  in  Philadelphia.  The  card 
below  is  given  to  each  member,  and  he  is  requested 
to  designate  which  of  the  columns  he  will  adopt  as 
his  rate  of  giving  to  the  objects  named  in  it,  and 
then  return  it  to  the  officers  of  the  church. 


Rates  of  contributions 
to  the  following  objects: 

Foreign  Missions, 
Domestic  Missions, 
Board  of  Publication, 
Board  of  Education, 
Sabbath  School, 
Bible  and  Tract  Soc. 

No.  1. 

o.oi~~ 

0.01 
0.01 
0.01 
0.01 
0.01 

Total  per  week, 

6 

No.  2. 

No.  3. 

0.02 

0.04 

0.02 

0.04 

0.02 

0.04 

0.02 

0.04 

0.02 

0.04 

0.02 

0.04 

12 

24 

No.  4. 

"0J2i" 
0.191 
0.12.1, 
0.12.| 
0.121 


No.  5. 

No.  6. 

0.1 6§ 

0.25 

0.16| 

0.25 

0.163 

0.25. 

0.16| 

0.25 

0.16  } 

0.25 

0.16| 

0.25 

1.00 

1.50 

"  On  considering  the  above  rates,  I  agree  to  give  the 
sums  specified  in  rate  No.  — ,  and  request  the  col- 
lector to  call  for  it  every  (month  or  quarter,  as  the 
case  may  be.")  Whatever  may  be  the  lesson  of 
the  Scriptures  to  the  churches  concerning  such  form 
of  benevolent  action,  it  is  yet  to  be  learned  by  the 
most  of  them.^ 

Christians  ivait  to  give.  The  want  of  system  in 
their  benefactions  leads  to  ivaiting.  How  few  would 
give  at  all  unless  called  upon  by  the  collector  or  so- 
licited to  give  in  the  house  of  God !  How  few  lay 
by  their  contributions  and  carry  them  statedly  to  the 


*  See  Appendix,  L. 


180  THE    MISSIONARY    ENTERPRISE. 

Lord's  treasury!  The  mass,  I  repeat,  wait  until  the 
agent  appears  to  awaken  their  sympathies  by  his  elo- 
quent appeals ;  and  this  is  their  only  acknowledged  an- 
nouncement to  prepare  to  contribute.  Such  believers 
need  to  ponder  the  injunction  of  Paul  to  the  Corin- 
thians. When  he  was  making  collections  for  the  dis- 
tressed brethren  at  Jerusalem,  he  instructed  them,  as 
we  have  seen,  to  lay  by  their  contributions  on  the  first 
day  of  the  week,  adding,  "  That  there  be  no  gatherings 
when  I  come."  He  would  have  them  so  principled 
in  giving  that  they  would  be  prepared  with  a  gift* 
previously  laid  by,  and  not  wait  to  be  driven  to  their 
duty  by  a  pungent  sermon.  The  counsel  was  never 
more  needed  than  at  present. 

Some  Christian  professors  exhibit  a  strange  opposition 
to  agents.  They  had  rather  hear  any  sort  of  a  preach- 
er than  a  " beggar"  and  listen  to  any  sermon  with 
more  interest  than  to  one  on  charity.  Perhaps,  when 
an  agent  is  to  occupy  the  desk,  they  find  it  incon- 
venient to  attend  public  worship.  At  any  rate,  such 
a  Sabbath  is  rather  borne  or  suffered  than  enjoyed. 
Perhaps  such  professing  Christians  have  never  re- 
flected that  the  existence  of  just  such  church  mem- 
bers as  themselves  has  made  the  appointment  of 
agents  necessary.  Gladly  would  the  officers  of  our 
benevolent  societies  dispense  with  all  agents,  and 
depend  upon  the  churches  to  forward  their  contribu- 
tions collected  according  to  the  system  before  con- 
sidered.     It  would   spare    much  painstaking  and 


THE    MISSIONARY    ENTERPRISE.  181 

expense.  But  then  they  cannot  trust  to  the  gener- 
osity and  promptitude  of  the  churches  in  this  regard. 
There  are  so  many  persons,  even  with  the  vows  of 
God  upon  thern,  belonging  to  the  class  named,  that 
the  present  system  of  agency  is  indispensable.  The 
individuals  who  dislike  to  see  an  agent  are  those 
who  seldom  give  unless  it  be  under  the  influence  of 
his  warm  appeals,  and  then  only  just  enough  to  pre- 
serve caste  with  the  company  of  givers.  Until  the 
churches  universally  attain  to  a  higher  standard  of 
benevolence,  and  systematize  their  giving,  it  will 
be  impossible  to  dispense  with  the  present  plan  of 
agency.  Such  complaints  as  the  above  against  the 
employment  of  agents  fall  with  a  poor  grace  from 
the  lips  of  those  who  would  give  little  or  nothing 
without  them. 

Ingenuity  and  much  effort  is  necessary  to  obtain  a 
liberal  contribution  from  many.  The  fact  that  the 
officers  of  our  benevolent  societies  are  obliged  to  se- 
lect for  agents  those  preachers  who  are  most  happy 
in  addressing  themselves  to  the  hearts  of  their  hear- 
ers, is  a  poor  compliment  to  the  benevolence  of 
Christian  people,  and  vindicates  the  justness  of  the 
criticisms  contained  in  this  chapter.  One  would 
suppose  that  their  belief  in  God's  willingness  and 
design  to  convert  the  world  through  the  agency  of 
his  church  would  be  sufficient  to  enlist  their  individ- 
ual interest  without  such  stirring  appeals ;  but  it  is 
not.  And  after  such  an  agent  is  in  the  field,  he 
16 


182  THE    MISSIONARY    ENTERPRISE. 

must  display  his  ingenuity  and  tact  in  obtaining  even 
small  contributions  from  a  large  class  of  professors 
of  religion.  In  every  church  there  are  some  to 
whom  we  cannot  appeal  successfully  for  aid  in  the 
work  of  missions  without  previous  study  and  con- 
trivance. They  can  be  reached  only  •  at  certain 
points  and  at  certain  times.  They  must  be  labored 
with,  as  if  the  matter  of  their  giving  were  actually 
a  questionable  duty. 

Some  complain  because  there  are  so  many  calls  for 
aid.  God  opens  new  doors  for  usefulness  on  every 
hand,  thus  encouraging  his  children  to  toil  for  the 
salvation  of  the  world  ;  and  this  class  of  his  professed 
children  complain  because  he  asks  them  to  cooperate 
with  him  in  multiplying  the  triumphs  of  his  grace. 
The  complaint  shows  that  a  cloud  of  ignorance  is 
veiling  the  spiritual  vision  of  such  professors  in  re- 
lation to  personal  obligation  in  the  work  of  redeem- 
ing the  race.  They  have  yet  to  learn  a  rudimental 
principle  of  the  Christian  faith.  Rather  than  be 
aggrieved  at  so  many  and  so  pressing  calls  for  mon- 
ey, they  ought  to  rejoice  that  Providence  is  so  fast 
heralding  the  conversion  of  the  world.  They  should 
regard  it  as  the  promise  of  gospel  triumphs  in  lands 
of  darkness — the  morning  star  upon  the  brow  of 
refulgent  day.  Knowing  that  God  requires  no  gift 
beyond  their  actual  ability,  they  should  hail  these 
increasing  calls  as  the  harbingers  of  peace  and  sal- 
vation to  the  lost  of  every  nation.     To  utter  the  Ian- 


THE    MISSIONARY    ENTERPRISE.  183 

guage  of  complaint  at  their  multiplicity  is  no  other 
than  barefaced  reflection  upon  God's  rapid  way  of 
bringing  the  lost  sheep  of  the  house  of  Israel  into 
his  kingdom.  It  is  virtually  saying, "  Would  that  the 
gospeL  might  advance  at  a  slower*  pace  over  the 
earth !  Would  that  God  had  not  opened  so  many 
effectual  doors  of  usefulness  for  his  children  to  en- 
ter !  "  We  refer  this  class  of  disciples  to  the  noble 
example  of  Alexander  the  Great,  who,  on  one  oc- 
casion, directed  the  philosopher  Anaxarchus  to 
go  to  his  treasurer  and  ask  for  any  amount  he 
pleased.  The  treasurer  refused  to  grant  his  request, 
because  it  was  so  exorbitant,  until  he  had  consulted 
his  prince.  Accordingly,  he  went  to  him  and  said, 
"  It  seemed  too  much  for  one  man  to  receive."  The 
great  sovereign  replied,  "  It  is  not  too  much  for  Al- 
exander to  give.  He  does  honor  to  my  liberality  by  so 
large  a  request." 

Others  defend  their  want  of  liberality  by  using 
the  unchristian  proverb,  "Charity  begins  at  home." 
The  poor  of  their  own  community,  the  morally  des- 
titute of  their  own  land,  and,  possibly,  the  demands 
of  their  own  persons  and  family,  are  offered  as 
reasons  for  withholding  from  the  great  missionary 
enterprise.  It  is  not  denied  that  these  may  some- 
times be  good  reasons  ;  but  they  are  usually  pre- 
sented as  mere  excuses.  "  Charity  begins  at  home  !  " 
As  if  the  proverb  were  a  vindication  of  the  most 
self-denying  benevolence,  when  it  is  nothing  more 


184  THE    MISSIONARY    ENTERPRISE. 

than  the  miserable  sophistry  of  a  selfish  heart.  Self- 
islmess  begins  at  home;  and  it  is  this  which  is  often 
palmed  upon  the  world  for  a  kind  of  home  char- 
ity. The  man  who  refuses  a  contribution  for  the 
heathen  world  because  he  beholds  needy  ones  in 
his  own  neighborhood  is  not  usually  distinguished 
for  his  generosity  to  them.  "  It  is  absurd,"  said  a 
penurious  Christian  professor  belonging  to  this  class, 
"  to  be  sending  money  abroad,  to  be  spent  we  know 
not  how,  when  there  is  so  much  suffering  nearer 
home."  "  I  will  give  five  pounds  to  the  poor  at 
home  if  you  will  give  the  same,"  said  the  Christian 
to  whom  the  above  remark  was  made.  "  I  did  not 
mean  that,"  replied  the  illiberal  man ;  "  but  if  you 
must  go  from  home,  why  go  so  far?  Think  of  the 
miserable  poor  of  Ireland."  "  I  will  give  five  pounds 
to  the  poor  of  Ireland  if  you  will  give  the  same."  "  I 
do  not  mean  that,  either,"  was  the  reply ;  a  very  fair 
illustration  of  the  real  spirit  of  such  professing  Chris- 
tians as  seek  to  hide  their  sins  under  the  mantle, 
"  Charity  begins  at  home." 

There  are  other  excuses  offered  by  some  members 
of  the  church  who  give  to  the  Lord  with  parsimoni- 
ous hand.  They  have  found,  in  ransacking  the 
world,  a  few  cases  of  imposture  practised  on  the^ 
generous  hearted,  and,  possibly,  an  isolated  ins.tance 
of  the  unwise  or  unfaithful  disbursement  of  charita- 
ble funds  ;  and  these  they  employ  as  arguments 
against    all    charity   thereafter.      Surely    God    has 


THE    MISSIONARY    ENTERPRISE.  185 

rested  the  obligation  of  his  people  to  contribute 
upon  a  very  uncertain  basis  if  the  delinquencies  of 
one  or  more  will  excuse  the  multitude  from  per- 
forming benevolent  deeds.  Surely,  too,  there  must 
be  a  singular  want  of  benevolence  in  the  heart  of 
that  professor  who  presumes  to  defend  his  illiberali- 
ty  by  such  an  unreasonable  excuse.  And  again : 
the  plea  is  even  set  up,  "  We  do  not  knQw  that  the 
money  reaches  the  heathen"  Base  as  is  such  an  as- 
persion upon  the  characters  of  the  most  devoted 
Christians  which  the  church  affords,  it  is,  neverthe- 
less, uttered  by  some  believers.  They  know,  or 
have  the  means  of  knowing,  that  the  most  reputable 
and  pious  Christians  in  the  land  are  selected  to  pre- 
side over  the  counsels  of  our  benevolent  institutions. 
They  know,  moreover,  that  a  large  body  of  Christian 
ministers  and  laymen,  of  similar  integrity  and  holi- 
ness, are  appointed  as  inspectors  of  the  disbursement 
of  funds,  and  that  a  full  account  of  the  expenditures 
is  annually  given  to  the  world.  To  make  such  a 
declaration  as  the  above,  in  the  face  of  these  facts,  is 
evidence  of  no  small  degree  of  ignorance  or  reckless- 
ness. A  similar  reflection  cast  upon  the  character' 
of  a  neighbor,  in  relation  to  some  matter  of  business, 
would  expose  one  to  a  legal  prosecution.  What, 
then,  shall  we  say  of  it  when  it  is  uttered  in  regard 
to  a  business  which  is  under  the  supervision  of  the 
best  and  most  honored  Christians  of  the  land?  We 
cannot  censure  the  utterance  of  a  statement  so  reck- 
16* 


186  THE    MISSIONARY    ENTERPRISE. 

less  in  language  too  severe ;  for  Christians  of  the 
present  day  ought  to  possess  knowledge  and  piety 
enough  to  know  and  feel  that  it  is  a  base  slander. 

Others  still  cry,  with  the  disciples  over  the  ala- 
baster box,  "  To  wJtat  purpose  is  this  waste  ?  "  "  How 
many  thousands  of  dollars  are  expended,  and  with 
what  feeble  results  !  How  many  precious  lives  are 
sacrificed,«and  how  few  are  converted!  What  an 
outlay  of  strength,  and  hardship,  and  suffering,  even 
to  enter  a  land  of  moral  darkness  !  Do  the  results 
pay  for  such  sacrifices  and  expenditures  ?  Are  we 
warranted  in  making  such  contributions  of  treasure 
and  life  for  the  spiritual  returns  we  receive  ?  "  Such 
unbelieving  souls  may  be  referred,  for  a  curative,  to 
the  address  of  Christ  to  the  disciples  who  first  raised 
the  inquiry,  "  To  what  purpose  is  this  waste  ?  "  "  Why 
trouble  ye  the  woman  ?  for  she  hath  wrought  a  good 
work  upon  me.  #  #  #  Verily  I  say  unto  you, 
wheresoever  this  gospel  shall  be  preached  in  the 
whole  world,  there  shall  also  this,  that  this  woman 
hath  done,  be  told  for  a  memorial  of  her." 

Many,  in  a  season  of  pressure,  curtail  their  contri- 
'  buttons  instead  of  their  expenses.  It  is  very  common 
for  even  religious  men  to  increase  their  expenses,  as 
their  wealth  multiplies,  without  adding  a  farthing  to 
their  previous  gifts  to  the  missionary  cause.  Very 
few  in  our  churches  adopt  the  benevolent  policy  of 
Eev.  John  Wesley  in  this  particular.  When  his 
income  was  thirty  pounds  a  year,  he  lived  on  twen- 


THE    MISSIONARY    ENTERPRISE.  187 

ty-eiglit  pounds,  and  gave  away  two.  The  next 
year  his  income  was  sixty  pounds ;  and  still  he  lived 
on  twenty-eight  pounds,  and  gave  away  thirty-two. 
The  fourth  year  raised  his  income  to  one  hundred 
and  twenty  pounds  ;  and  he  still  adhered  to  his  plan, 
and  contributed  ninety-two  pounds.  It  is  a  noble 
example  of  economical  living  in  order  to  multiply 
benevolent  giving.  The  principle  involved  in  it  is 
the  only  one  that  can  bear  the  test  of  eternal  truth ; 
and  yet  how  generally  does  the  policy  prevail,  to 
curtail  contributions,  and  not  expenses,  in  seasons 
of  pecuniary  embarrassment,  and  to  increase  family 
outlays,  and  not  subscriptions,  in  seasons  of  pros- 
perity ! 

The  delinquency  of  some  in  relation  to  the  mis- 
sionary enterprise  can  be  stated  in  no  better  lan- 
guage than  this  —  they  give  only  when  they  cannot 
help  it.  The  presentation  of  the  object  by  a  person 
whom  they  particularly  respect,  or  the  presence  of 
another  of  similar  character,  may  insure  a  reluctant 
offering.  They  may  be  placed  in  such  circumstances 
that  denial  will  tarnish  their  honor,  or  a  sense  of 
shame  overcome  their  penurious  spirit ;  and  then  a 
gift  may  be  extorted.  But,  generally,  they  regard 
themselves  peculiarly  fortunate  if  absent  from  the 
sanctuary  when  the  missionary  box  goes  round,  or 
if  they  are  passed  by  when  the  collectors  canvass 
the  parish.     Their  gifts  are  the  spoils  of  necessity. 

A  class  of  professing  Christians  are  ever  discours- 


188  THE    MISSIONARY    ENTERPRISE. 

ing  about  contributing  their  mite ;  and,  sure  enough, 
it  is  but  a  mite  in  comparison  with  their  abundance. 
Doubtless,  in  so  saying,  they  design  to  show  that 
they  follow  the  example  of  the  liberal  widow  of 
whom  the  sacred  writer  informs  us  ;  but  they  were 
never  more  mistaken  than  they  are  in  this  instance  ; 
for  the  widow's  mite  was  the  last  pittance  that  she 
possessed,  and  surely  she  could  give  no  more  than 
her  all*  But  they  bring  their  mites  from  a  generous 
competency  ;  thus  deluding  themselves  with  the  idea 
of  being  benevolent,  when  their  very  offerings  ex- 
pose their  selfishness.  Scores  of  the  professed  fol- 
lowers of  Christ  are  perverting  the  poor  widow's 
excellent  example  to  their  dishonor,  and  contenting 
themselves  with  a  degree  of  benevolence  of  which 
they  would  be  ashamed  if  the  delusion  were  wholly 
removed. 

There  are  certain  marked  inconsistencies  in  Chris- 
tian conduct,  relative  to  benevolence,  beyond  what 
have  already  been  exposed.  They  appear  in  the 
following  facts.  A  believer,  of  excellent  religious 
character  in  almost  every  particular,  declined  con- 
tributing to  a  benevolent  object  because  he  could  not 
afford  it.  Scarcely  a  week  passed  by  before  he  en- 
tertained  a   social  gathering  at  his   house  with   a 


*  The  late  missionary,  Rev.  Daniel  Temple,  once  said,  at  a  meet- 
ing of  the  A.  B.  C.  F.  M.,  the  poor  widow's  gift  is  not  to  be  esti- 
mated so  much  by  what  she  gave  as  by  what  she  had  left. 


% 


THE    MISSIONARY    ENTERPRISE.  189 

variety  of  viands,  at  an  expense,  probably,  of  not  less 
than  ten  dollars.  Another  contributed  twenty-five 
cents  to  a  worthy  object,  and,  doubtless,  wished  that 
he  had  more  to  give.  On  the  following  evening  he 
spread  a  banquet  for  a  large  company  of  invited 
guests,  at  an  expense  of,  at  least,  fifteen  dollars.  An 
agent  called  upon  a  wealthy  Christian  for  aid ;  but 
he  refused  to  contribute,  on  the  ground  that  his 
present  outlays  were  so  large  that  he  could  not 
afford  it.  And  what  were  his  outlays?  He  was 
building  a  splendid  house,  at  an  expense  of  seventy 
thousand  dollars,  including  the  preparation  and  adorn- 
ment of  grounds.  By  dint  of  perseverance,  how- 
ever, the  agent  induced  him  to  give  one  dollar* 
These  facts  involve  the  grossest  inconsistencies,  and 
are  an  illustration  of  a  class  belonging  to  the  same 
category.  They  need  no  comment  to  expose  their 
marked  impropriety. 

How  often  doe*s  even  the  penurious  disciple  of 
Christ  offer  the  prayer,  "  Thy  kingdom  come  "  /  Even 
he  who  is  chargeable  with  one  or  more  of  the  fore- 
going delinquencies  scarcely  closes  a  supplication 
without  uttering  this  request,  "  Thy  kingdom  come" ! 
And  yet,  when  the  evidence  of  its  coming  is  unmis- 
takable in  the  pleadings  of  benighted  nations,  and 
the  increasing  doors  of  usefulness  opened  here  and 


*  The  author  received  this  latter  fact  from  the  lips  of  the  agent 
himself. 


190  THE    MISSIONARY    ENTERPRISE. 

there,  he  finds  a  score  of  reasons  for  withholding  aid, 
and  even  complains  that  there  are  so  many  calls  for 
almsgiving.  With  his  lips  he  prays  that  the  gospel 
may  multiply  its  triumphs  ;  but  his  hands  refuse  to 
labor  for  it,  or,  at  least,  he  gives  so  sparingly  that 
the  Savior's  kingdom  would  tardily  come  if  all  the 
church  should  follow  his  example.  His  prayer  is  a 
standing  rebuke  to  his  benevolence,  or  rather  to  the 
want  of  it.  There  is  no  consistency  at  all  between 
a  person's  benevolence  and  the  utterance  of  this  pe- 
tition unless  he  contributes  to  the  extent  of  his  abil- 
ity, and,  with  the  spirit  of  the  devoted  Mr.  H , 

thanJcs  the  collector  for  the  opportunity  of  giving.  The 
prayer  supposes  that  the  suppliant  is  ready  and 
willing  to  cooperate,  in  every  possible  way,  to  spread 
the  gospel  abroad. 

In  view  of  such  delinquencies,  there  is  but  one 
conclusion  to  which  we  arrive  ;  viz.,  the  church  falls 
far  below  the  true  standard  of  Christian  benevolence  in 
responding  to  the  calls  of  a  perishing  ivorld.  There  is 
needed  more  of  the  spirit  of  the  divine  Redeemer  in 
order  to  beget  more  self-denial  and  generous  giving. 
A  nearer  view  of  the  cross  and  its  painful  antece- 
dents is  necessary  to  insure  a  more  perfect  imitation 
of  the  example  of  Him  who,  though  he  was  rich,  yet  for 
our  sokes  became  poor.  We  must  see  and  feel,  as 
never  before,  that  benevolence  is  the  prime  test  and 
condition  of  acceptance  with  God ;  that  it  is  only  in 


THE    MISSIONARY    ENTERPRISE.  191 

the  discharge  of  this  consistent  duty  that  we  can 
keep  the  fire  burning  upon  the  altar  of  our  hearts. 

During  the  spread  of  the  cholera  in  Ireland  in 
1832,  a  priest  is  said  to  have  devised  the  following 
expedient  to  allay  the  fears  of  the  people.  Some 
burning  turf  was  exhibited  on  a  public  occasion,  said 
to  have  been  lighted  by  fire  from  heaven .  It  was 
distributed  among  the  people,  with  the  instruction 
that  they  must  convey  it  to  their  homes,  and  with 
it  kindle  the  fire  upon  their  own  hearths  :  all,  at 
the  same  time,  were  assured,  that,  so  long  as  the 
fire  was  kept  burning,  the  pestilence  would  not  enter 
their  dwellings.  There  was  this  condition,  however, 
that,  after  kindling  the  fire  upon  his  own  hearth, 
each  one  should  bear  a  piece  of  the  naming  turf  to 
his  neighbor.  By  this  means  it  was  soon  spread 
from  house  to  house  over  the  entire  country.  So 
God  has  given  his  precious  gospel  to  us  as  our  safe- 
guard against  a  dreadful  moral  malady,  with  the 
assurance  that  its  holy  fire  will  continue  to  burn 
upon  our  altars,  provided  we  bear  a  spark  of  it 
abroad  to  our  perishing  neighbors.  The  important 
condition  needs  to  be  pondered,  that  our  self-denying 
acts  may  attest  our  appreciation  of  the  immortal  in- 
terests at  stake. 

A  Christian  traveller  relates  that  he  attended  upon 
the  service  of  a  Protestant  church,  on  Easter  Sun- 
day, in  the  city  of  Lyons.  After  the  celebration  of 
the  Lord's  supper,  many  of  the  members  advanced 


192  THE    MISSIONARY    ENTERPRISE. 

forward  to  the  minister  and  laid  down  their  offerings 
to  aid  in  the  erection  of  a  sanctuary.  Among  the 
number  was  a  soldier,  who,  with  gushing  tears  of 
gratitude,  presented  all  his  earnings  for  the  last  three 
months.  The  minister,  knowing  this  circumstance, 
and  fearing  that  he  might  have  given  more  than  he 
could  afford,  asked  him  if  he  were  certain  he  could 
spare  so  much.  With  much  emotion,  he  replied, 
"  My  Savior  spared  not  himself,  but  freely  gave  his 
life  for  my  redemption ;  and  surely  I  can  spare  one 
quarter  of  my  year's  earnings  for  the  promotion  of 
his  glory  here  on  the  earth."  This  is  the  spirit 
which  is  needed  to  meet  the  demands  of  the  pres- 
ent age  in  behalf  of  benighted  millions  pleading  for 
the  gospel.  If  one  half  the  church  were  ready  to 
make  such  sacrifices,  how  speedily  would  the  gospel 
advance  over  the  earth  !  what  companies  of  faithful 
missionaries  would  go  forth  to  reap  the  moral  har- 
vest of  the  world !  what  a  full  and  overflowing 
treasury  would  be  the  Lord's  ! 

Here  let  the  Christian  professor  pause  and  learn 
what  it  is  to  be  benevolent.  Let  him  not  delude 
himself  with  the  idea  of  possessing  this  virtue  when 
he  has  no  claim  to  it  in  the  sight  of  God.  He  is  not 
benevolent  who  measures  his  contributions  with  par- 
simonious hand  and  gives  grudgingly  to  objects  of 
charity ;  nor  is  he  benevolent  who  contributes  to  a 
cause  because  he  is  ashamed  to  refuse,  no  matter  if  his 
gift  be  large  ;  nor  he  who  does  not  economize  in  order 


THE    MISSIONARY    ENTERPRISE.  193 

to  swell  his  contributions,  and  say,  with  Caesar,  "  No 
music  is  so  charming  to  my  ears  as  the  supplications 
of  those  in  want  of  my  assistance."  '  He  alone  is  be- 
nevolent who  watches  for  opportunities  to  do  good, 
gives  all  he  can  by  the  practice  of  self-denial  and 
economy,  and  studies  how  and  when  he  can  give  in 
most  liberal  measure.  This  only  is  copying  the  be- 
nevolence of  Christ  and  that  of  the  primitive  saints, 
and  living  according  to  the  plain  injunctions  of  re- 
vealed truth. 

Get  to  give  !  This  should  be  the  motto  of  the 
Christian  church,  to  contrast  nobly  with  that  of  the 
selfish  world,  Get  to  hoard  !  God  is  to  be  glorified 
with  her  alms  as  really  as  with  her  prayers.  Both 
together  are  to  be  accounted  as  a  memorial  of  her 
fidelity  by  Him  who  looks  upon  the  heart.  The 
worldling  may  accumulate  wealth  for  his  own  pleas- 
ure; but  the  Christian  has  a  very  erroneous  view  of 
his  relations  to  Christ  and  his  cause  if  he  does  not 
perceive  that  duty  requires  him  to  use  his  gains  for 
the  glory  of  God.  No  policy  is  consistent  with  a 
Christian  profession  excepting  this  q£  getting  to  give; 
and,  sooner  or  later,  the  believer  will  see  it  to  be 
thus,  and  will  exclaim,  with  the  eloquent  Antony, 
"  I  have  lost  all  except  what  I  have  given  away." 
The  sweetest  consolation  ever  yielded  by  a  fortune 
to  the  dying  believer  was  enjoyed  by  him  who,  to 
the  inquiry,  "  Where  may  your  fortune  be  found?" 
replied,  "  In  the  pockets  of  the  indigent." 
17 


CHAPTER    X. 

MUTUAL  CHRISTIAN   FAITHFULNESS. 

The  Bible  View.  —  How  disregarded,  and  why.  —  Lack  of  moral 
Courage. — Fear  of  giving  Offence.  —  Little  Interest  in  spiritual 
Welfare  of  Church.  —  Benefits  of  this  Fidelity.  —  Inspires  Confi- 
dence in  the  faithful  Disciple.  —  Begets  Watchfulness.  —  Spares 
the  Church  much  unpleasant  Discipline.  —  Preserves  Purity  of 
Church,  and  gives  Power  over  Men.  —  Spirit  that  ought  to  pervade 
the  Church  on  this  Subject.  —  A  faithful  Friend. 

"  Moreover,  if  thy  brother  shall  trespass 
against  thee,  go  and  tell  him  his  fault  between 
thee  and  him  alone  i  if  he  shall  hear  thee,  thou 
hast  gained  thy  brother.  but  if  he  will  not 
hear  thee,  then  take  with  thee  one  or  two 
more,  that  in  the  mouth  of  two  or  three  wit- 
nesses every  word  may  be  established.  and  if 
he  shall  neglect  to  hear  them,  tell  it  unto  the 
church  ;  but  if  he  neglect  to  hear  the  church, 
let  him  be  unto  thee  as  an  heathen  man  and  a 
publican."  *  The  above  commandment  has  refer- 
ence to  alienations  among  the  brethren  of  a  Christian 


*  Matt,  xviii.  15-17. 

(194) 


MUTUAL    CHRISTIAN    FAITHFULNESS.  195 

church,  and  points  out  the  duty  of  the  injured  to- 
wards the  offending  party.  It  plainly  instructs  that 
the  aggrieved  member  should  unbosom  his  charges 
to  the  erring  brother  or  sister  first  of  all.  This  he 
must  do  ere  he  spreads  his  grievances  before  another 
member  of  the  church,  and,  of  course,  before  he  tells 
them  to  the  church  itself.  Every  person  who  is  re- 
ceived to  the  full  communion  of  a  church  engages  to 
submit  to  such  fidelity  on  the  part  of  others,  and  to 
live  in  the  practice  of  it  himself.  Yet  how  seldom 
is  the  divine  requirement,  in  this  regard,  fulfilled  ! 
How  few  complainants  bring  their  charges  first  to 
the  door  of  the  offender  !  How  ready  is  human  na- 
ture to  proclaim  them  abroad  before  regarding  the 
injunction,  "  Go  and  tell  him  his  fault "  !  Frequently 
the  whole  community  is  in  a  turmoil  about  a  broth- 
er's offences  before  a  single  admonition  or  rebuke  is 
administered  to  him.  The  whole  matter  is  discussed 
over  and  over,  in  the  church  and  out  of  it,  by  be- 
lievers and  unbelievers,  before  the  accused  is  waited 
upon  at  all.  Opinions  are  formed  concerning  his  in- 
nocence or  guilt,  and  judgment  is  passed  upon  him, 
while  yet  he  is  ignorant  of  the  progress  of  his  vir- 
tual, though  informal,  trial.  Still,  Christians  general- 
ly perceive  the  duty  herein  enjoined,  and  are  seldom 
disposed  to  deny  it.  They  may  be  patterns  of  god- 
liness in  every  other  particular,  yet  fail  in  this  duty 
of  mutual  Christian  faithfulness  ;  thus  allowing  un- 
christian conduct  to  mar  the  reputation  of  the  church, 


196  MUTUAL    CHRISTIAN    FAITHFULNESS. 

and  erring  brethren  wax  worse  and  worse,  unchecked 
in  their  career  by  one  faithful  warning  or  rebuke. 

The  following  reasons  influence  the  church  mem- 
ber to  neglect  the  foregoing  command.  Lack  of 
moral  courage.  It  requires  a  good  degree  of  forti- 
tude to  bear  a  charge  directly  to  an  offending  brother 
or  sister.  He  who  has  never  been  brought  to  the 
experience  can  scarcely  appreciate  the  trial.  We 
may  possess  courage  to  enroll  ourselves  in  the  van 
of  opposition  to  a  desolating  vice  ;  we  may  care 
little  for  the  frowns  of  the  rich  and  influential,  and 
persevere  in  prosecuting  a  philanthropic  enterprise, 
even  in  the  face  of  violent  hostility;  and  yet  we 
may  not  possess  sufficient  fortitude  to  go  and  tell  a 
Christian  brother  his  fault.  Many  a  man  who  might 
become  a  general  on  the  tented  field  finds  that  his 
heart  fails  him  here.  To  meet  a  man  face  to  face, 
either  to  warn  or  rebuke,  and  say,  "  Thou  art  the 
man  —  your  error  is  thus  and  thus  —  your  guilt  is  so 
and  so,"  it  is  a  great  cross  for  the  most  devoted 
Christian  to  take  up.  He  may  not  falter  in  discuss- 
ing the  delinquency  before  the  whole  church,  in  as- 
sembly,, or  before  an  ecclesiastical  council ;  but  to 
press  it  home  to  the  conscience  of  the  accused  him- 
self, this  demands  quite  a  different  temper  of  mind 
and  heart. 

Possibly  there  may  be  those  in  the  church  who 
experience  none  of  this  diffidence  in  admonishing  or 
rebuking  others  ;  but  most  of  the  followers  of  Christ 


MUTUAL    CHRISTIAN    FAITHFULNESS.  .197 

have  enough  of  this  natural  timidity  to  render  this 
kind  of  Christian  fidelity  a  trying  duty  to  perform. 
The  fear  of  giving  offence  may  be  another  reason. 
It  must  be  admitted  that  erring  professors  of  religion 
are  too  generally  disposed  to  resent  such  acts  of 
Christian  faithfulness.  It  is  not  usually  true,  how- 
ever, of  holy  men  and  women,  whose  error  is  one  of 
judgment.  A  sincere,  humble,  devoted  Christian, 
suspected  of  evil,  though  innocent,  will  receive  the 
charge  with  becoming  humility.  He  appreciates  the 
duties  that  devolve  upon  members  of  the  same 
church  in  respect  to  mutual  faithfulness,  and  he 
can  but  honor  the  piety  of  that  brother  who  comes 
in  a  Christian  spirit  to  tell  him  of  his  fault.  But 
when  a  disciple  of  Christ  is  guilty  of  an  ofFence,  yet 
unrepentant,  he  is  likely  to  resent  an  honest  effort 
to  restore  him.  And  perhaps  the  experience  of  some 
of  the  faithful  ones  in  this  matter  may  have  given 
rise  to  much  of  this  fear  of  giving  offence  ;  for  it  is 
sometimes  true,  that  not  only  the  erring  members 
themselves  oppose  the  efforts  to  reclaim  them,  but  a 
circle  of  their  sympathizing  friends  become  indig- 
nant. As  a  consequence,  two  clashing  parties  spring 
into  existence,  each  striving  earnestly  for  the  mas- 
tery. Here  church  difficulties  often  originate ;  here 
pastors,  in  the  faithful  discharge  of  duty,  often  make 
their  bitterest  foes ;  and  a  long  train  of  evils,  too 
painful  to  describe,  is  the  result.  Because  of  this, 
many  may  not  consider  it  worth  the  while  to  attempt 
17* 


198  MUTUAL    CHRISTIAN    FAITHFULNESS. 

to  restrain  and  save  a  member  of  the  church  from 
downright  apostasy.  The  fear  of*  giving  offence 
may  be  magnified  by  this  train  of  evils ;  and  hence  a 
large  portion  of  the  members  of  the  church  may 
think  it  better,  on  the  whole,  that  one  or  more  delin- 
quents be  allowed  to  wound  Christ  in  the  house  of 
his  friends  than  that  the  peace  and  harmony  of  their 
society  be  jeopardized  by  discipline. 

So  it  is  in  relation  to  the  less,  important  personal 
difficulties  among  the  brethren  of  a  church.  It  is 
trying  to  a  Christian  to  know  that  he  has  even  one 
enemy  in  the  church,  to  perceive  that  there  is  one 
man  or  woman  who  passes  him  in  the  street  with 
unkind  look  and  unloving  heart.  And  hence,  to 
hazard  the  friendly  Christian  intercourse  that  now 
subsists  between  himself  and  another  member  of  the 
church,  by  going  privately  to  tell  him  of  his  fault,  is 
an  issue  which  he  would  often  study  to  avoid. 

Christians  may  neglect  the  duty  in  question  be- 
cause they  have  little  interest  in  the  spiritual  welfare  of 
the  church  or  of  the  erring  member  himself  They 
ought  to  indulge  such  concern  for  the  character  of 
the  church  as  to  desire  to  see  every  stain  wiped 
away  and  every  member  alive  in  Christ ;  but  if  they 
can  associate  and  walk  with  those  who  are  a  re- 
proach to  the  cause  of  Christ  and  a  stone  of  stum- 
bling to  an  ungodly  world,  and  yet  have  no  special 
interest  for  their  moral  recovery,  then  they  possess 
too  little   interest  to  admonish  them  concerning  a 


MUTUAL    CHRISTIAN    FAITHFULNESS.  199 

fault.  There  is  far  less  excuse,  for  shrinking  from 
this  mutual  Christian  fidelity  because  of  a  want  of 
interest  than  there  is  on  the  ground  of  natural  timid- 
ity or  fear  of  giving  offence ;  for  such  non-interest 
reveals  a  torpid  state  of  the  heart  at  once  alarming 
and  wicked.  He  who  loves  the  gates  of  Zion,  and 
can  say  of  her  as  the  weeping  Jew,  by  the  stream 
of  Babylon,  said  of  his  native  city,  "  If  I  forget 
thee,  O  Jerusalem,  let  my  right  hand  forget  her  cun- 
ning. If  I  do  not  remember  thee,  may  my  tongue 
cleave  to  the  roof  of  my  mouth ;  if  I  prefer  not  Jeru- 
salem above  my  chief  joy,"  feels  every  injury  that  is 
done  to  her  cause.  For  her  own  sake  he  would  see 
her  purity  preserved,  and  her  name  the  representa- 
tive of  all  that  is  true  and  good.  He  has  interest 
enough  in  her  welfare  to  admonish  and  reprove  his 
nearest  and  dearest  friend. 

Such  are  some  of  the  causes  which  lead  to  the 
neglect  of  this  duty  of  mutual  Christian  faithful- 
ness, and  they  may  serve  to  show  what  a  trying 
cross  is  connected  with  its  performance.  The  fol- 
lowing benefits  will  result  from  the  faithful  dis- 
charge of  this  duty. 

Confidence  is  reposed  in  the  Christian  ivho  is  thus 
faithful.  To  other  members  of  the  church  it  is  evi- 
dence of  sincere  devotion  to  the  common  cause  of 
religion.  All  love  to  witness  such  tender  interest  in 
the  spiritual  welfare  of  a  fellow-disciple.    It  presents 


200  MUTUAL    CHRISTIAN    FAITHFULNESS. 

a  pleasing  contrast  with  the  too  common  practice  of 
publishing  the  faults  of  erring  brethren,  first  of  all, 
to  the  world.  To  the  person  reproved,  if  ever  con- 
verted, it  becomes  evidence  of  deep  interest  in  his 
spiritual  prosperity  on  the  part  of  the  reprover.  It 
is  a  sort  of  guaranty  that  he  has  not  been  abroad 
through  the  neighborhood  to  extemporize  upon  his 
errors.  True,  as  we  have  said  before,  if  the  person 
is  self-deceived,  or  a  hypocrite,  his  confidence  will 
not  be  won  ;  resentment  may  repel  the  honest  effort 
to  do  him  good ;  but  all  whose  hearts  have  been  re- 
generated, and  whose  spirit  is  truly  Christian,  will 
repose  more  confidence  in  one  so  faithful  than  they 
can  in  those  who  stand  aloof  and  speak  freely  of 
their  faults  only  to  others. 

Where  such  fidelity  abounds  in  a  church,  all  the 
members  will  be  more  watchful  over  themselves.  The 
fact  that  men  are  surrounded  with  witnesses,  be- 
holding the  good  and  evil  of  their  lives,  often  sub- 
jects them  to  powerful  restraints.  This  is  true  of 
nearly  all  persons  and  in  all  professions.  The  efforts 
of  vicious  men  to  elude  the  gaze  of  the  world  in 
the  perpetration  of  evil,  plunging  fearfully  into  sin 
when  persuaded  that  concealment  is  possible,  shows 
what  a  powerful  restraint  is  here  imposed.  Only 
impress  upon  the  mind  of  a  devotee  of  vice  that 
some  eye  will  behold  him  as  he  takes  upon  his  soul 
the  guilt  of  another  sin,  and  in  many  instances  it  will 


MUTUAL    CHRISTIAN    FAITHFULNESS.  201 

prove  effectual.  It  is  when  the  youth  or  young  man 
supposes  the  eye  of  a  faithful  friend  is  turned  away 
that  he  summons  courage  to  tamper  with  vice. 

A  kindred  feeling  pervades  the  hearts  of  profess- 
ing Christians  ;  nor  is  it  a  low  and  sinful  sentiment. 
It  may  be  an  inferior  motive  by  which  to  be  in- 
fluenced ;  but  it  is  not  unchristian.  It  is  proper  for 
the  most  devoted  child  of  God  to  be  moved  by  such 
a  motive.  It  is  one  of  the  guards  which  a  wise 
Providence  set  in  human  nature  to  save  it  from 
moral  obloquy  and  ruin.  Paul  exhorted  the  He- 
brews to  run  the  race  with  patience,  because  they 
were  "  compassed  about  with  so  great  a  cloud  of  wit- 
nesses!' He  had  allusion  to  the  ancient  games,  when 
a  vast  multitude  occupied  the  circular  seats  in  the 
amphitheatre  to  behold  the  striving  combatants; 
and  although  the  "  witnesses  "  to  whom  he  doubtless 
pointed  were  the  ransomed  in  the  skies,  yet  I  know 
not  that  it  is  more  proper  to  be  moved  to  duty  by  the 
consideration  that  we  are  a  spectacle  to  heaven  than 
by  the  more  apparent  truth  that  we  are  a  spectacle 
to  earth.  True,  this  must  not  be  the  only  nor  the 
highest  motive  to  Christian  faithfulriess  ;  but  it  may 
have  its  place  among  the  variety  of  motives  which 
ought  to  stimulate  the  follower  of  Christ  to  earnest- 
ness in  the  cause  which  he  has  espoused. 

Now,  mark  it  where  you  may,  the  church  which 
is  lax  in  discipline,  allowing  its  members  to  multiply 
trespasses  unreproved,  waxes  worse  and  worse,  until 


202  MUTUAL    CHRISTIAN    FAITHFULNESS. 

it  has  scarcely  a  name  to  live.  On  the  other  hand, 
when  the  people  of  God  are  faithful  to  regard  the 
scriptural  policy  in  dealing  with  offending  members 
of  the  church,  then  a  good  degree  of  purity  will  per- 
vade their  ranks,  and  prosperity  attend  the  cause 
they  love.  In  this  single  fact  do  we  not  find  evi- 
dence enough  that  such  Christian  faithfulness  gen- 
erally increases  personal  watchfulness  ? 

This  mutual  Christian  faithfulness  saves  the  church 
much  unpleasant  discipline.  Many  cases  of  delin- 
quency, which  might  be  corrected  by  timely  Chris- 
tian admonition,  ripen  into  disgraceful  apostasy  if 
allowed  to  pass  unnoticed.  The  erring  member 
usually  commences  a  backsliding  career  with  little 
sins.  He  enters  the  apostate's  path  at  this  fatal 
corner.  Not  yet  does  the  heart  burn  with  direful 
lusts  ;  not  yet  is  recovery  impossible.  Here  let  the 
faithful  Christian  take  him  kindly  by  the  hand,  point- 
ing him  to  the  only  path  of  honor  and  safety,  and 
he  may  spare  the  church  long  seasons  of  trouble, 
and  save  the  delinquent  from  grosser  sins  and  final 
excommunication.  The  destruction  of  the  choking 
tare,  as  it  shoots  from  the  soil,  will  prevent  a  wider 
ruin  from  its  ripened  and  scattered  seeds.  A  single 
spire  of  whiteweed  will  sow  a  farm  in  half  a  score 
of  years ;  so  one  transgression,  unrebuked,  speedily 
multiplies  to  more  than  sixty  or  a  hundred  fold ;  for 
it  is  true  in  the  moral  world  that  sins  usually  multi- 
ply faster  than  charities.     On  the  contrary,  a  kind, 


MUTUAL    CHRISTIAN    FAITHFULNESS.  203 

Christian,  personal  appeal  and  remonstrance  may 
nip  transgression  in  the  bud,  and  prevent  many  a 
case  of  severe  and  painful  discipline.  Hence  the 
church  that  would  avoid  future  trials  in  the  discipline 
of  offending  members  must  be  careful  to  note  the  be- 
ginnings of  sin.  They  must  not  wait  until  the  offence 
has"  grown  into  monstrous  boldness  and  become  a 
"  hissing  and  by-word  "  among  ungodly  men  ;  for  then 
the  die  is  cast  —  the  stain  is  fixed  —  the  influence 
is  impaired  —  the  common  cause  is  suffering.  Then 
the  popular  prejudice  is  awakened  —  the  finger  of 
scorn  is  raised  —  the  taunting  satire  of  the  world  is 
spoken.  The  saving  effort  must  be  made,  and  the 
pressing  Christian  duty  performed,  before  the  offence 
becomes  a  public  disgrace.  This  is  both  a  labor- 
saving  and  a  trial-saving  operation.  "  An  ounce  of 
prevention  is  better  than  a  pound  of  cure.'* 

I  remark  again,  what  has  been  all  along  implied, 
or  indirectly  taught,  that  it  is  only  by  this  mutual  fidel- 
ity that  the  church  is  continued  pure,  and  thus  enabled 
to  accomplish  the  object  of  its  organization.  The 
purer  a  church,  the  greater  its  power;  the  holier 
its  influence,  the  richer  its  trophies.  Unconverted 
men  are  generally  ready  to  repose  a  degree  of  confi- 
dence in  it  just  in  proportion  to  its  purity.  They 
lose  confidence  in  it,  and  pour  upon  it  their  denun- 
ciations, when  inconsistencies  and  open  sins  mar  the 
conduct  of  its  members.  When  difficulties  destroy 
its  harmony,  when  one  member  is  arrayed  against 


204  MUTUAL    CHRISTIAN    FAITHFULNESS. 

another,  when  there  is  alienation  and  unseemly 
altercations  among  its  members,  —  at  such  a  time, 
especially,  the  world  holds  it  in  derision,  and  says, 
"  What  doest  thou  more  than  others  ? "  Then 
Christian  •  influence  wanes,  the  ordinances  of  re- 
ligion lose  their  power,  and  all  the  blessings  of  the 
Spirit  are  withholden. 

Upon  this  subject  an  eloquent  writer  remarks, 
"  The  church  of 'Christ  will  have  power  over  men 
just  in  proportion  to  the  glory  of  that  earnest  of  her 
inheritance  which  she  has  in  present  possession. 
Just  so  much  of  the  Spirit  of  Heaven  as  she  now 
possesses  — just  so  much  of  the  joy  of  God's  salva- 
tion as  belongs  to  her — just  so  much  as  she  can 
show,  prove,  demonstrate,  of  a  revelation  of  the 
tilings  that  eye  hath  not  seen,  nor  ear  heard,  neither 
hath  it  entered  into  the  heart  of  man  to  conceive, 
which  God  hath  prepared  for  those  that  love  him 
—  just  so  many  more  souls  will  she  be  capable  of 
drawing  to  her  Savior."  This  is  the  burden  of  Da- 
vid's prayer :  "  Restore  unto  me  the  joy  of  thy  salva- 
tion, and  uphold  me  by  thy  free  Spirit ;  then  will  I 
teach  transgressors  thy  ways,  and  sinners  shall  be 
converted  unto  thee."  That  is,  aid  me  to  walk  in 
purity  and  holiness ;  then  shall  I  have  power  over 
sinful  men  to  win  them  to  Christ. 

How  shall  the  purity  of  the  church  be  preserved 
unless  this  mutual  fidelity  distinguishes  its  mem- 
bers ?     Will  not  errors  and  sins  creep  into  its  sacred 


MUTUAL    CHRISTIAN    FAITHFULNESS.  205 

enclosure,  and  blast  many  a  flourishing  grace,  unless 
all  are  watchful  in  this  regard  ?  If  so,  is  not  the 
first  practical  demonstration  of  the  faithfulness  en- 
joined just  where  the  injured  party  goes  kindly  and 
privately  to  tell  the  delinquent  of  his  fault  ?  And 
does  not  reason  itself  teach  that  no  course  is  so  like- 
ly to  result  in  preserving  the  church  from  sin  and 
rupture  as  that  laid  down  in  the  texts  of  Scripture 
which  stand  at  the  beginning  of  this  chapter  ? 

A  few  more  thoughts  may  be  suggested  concern- 
ing the  spirit  which  ought  to  pervade  the  church  in 
respect  to  this  subject.  The  feeling  that  prompts 
faithful  admonition  or  rebuke  should  be  that  of  kind- 
ness and  forbearance.  Delight  in  reminding  a  broth- 
er or  sister  of  a  fault,  in  order  to  send  an  arrow  to  the 
heart,  is  entirely  wrong.  The  language  of  the  great 
apostle  to  the  Thessalonian  Christians  was,  "  We 
command  yon,  brethren,  in  the  name  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  that  ye  withdraw  yourselves  from 
every  brother  that  walketh  disorderly,  and  not  after 
the  tradition  which  he  received  of  us.  *  #  *  And 
if  any  man  obey  not  our  word  by  this  epistle,  note 
that  man,  and  have  no  company  with  him,  that  he 
may  be  ashamed.  Yet  count  him  not  as  an  enemy, 
but  admonish  him  as  a  brother"  And  again  :  to  the 
Galatians  he  said,  "  Brethren,  if  a  man  be  overtaken 
in  a  fault,  ye  which  are  spiritual  restore  such  an  one 
m  the  spirit  of  meekness ;  considering  thyself,  lest 
thou  also  be  tempted."  On  the  other  hand,  the 
18 


206  MUTUAL    CHRISTIAN    FAITHFULNESS. 

counsel  or  reproof  should  be  received  with  the  same 
spirit  in  which  it  is  given.  The  erring  member  should 
consider  that  the  brethren  have  not  only  the  cov- 
enanted rig/it,  but  are  impelled  by  imperative  duty, 
to  warn  and  rebuke.  If  he  is  at  fault,  reason  teaches 
him  the  duty  of  being  willing  to  be  corrected.  He 
should  be  in  a  spirit  to  appreciate  the  divine  coun- 
sel, "  Let  the  righteous  smite  thee  ;  it  shall  be  a 
kindness :  and  let  him  reprove  thee  ;  it  shall  be  an 
excellent  oil,  which  shall  not  break  thy  head."  The 
duty  to  receive  a  merited  reproof  in  love  is  just  as 
plain  as  the  duty  to  give  it.  Were  this  spirit  uni- 
versally and  mutually  cherished  by  the  members  of 
a  church,  every  instance  of  delinquency  could  be 
corrected  without  resort  to  discipline.  Every  fault 
would  be  silently  removed  without  attracting  the 
attention  of  the  world. 

A  faithful  friend  is  a  valued  boon  in  all  the  walks 
of  social  life.  He  is  a  sort  of  "  body  guard  "  all  along 
life's  pathway.  We  readily  concede  to  him  the  right 
to  correct  our  faults.  Indeed,  we  regard  such  faith- 
fulness somewhat  in  the  light  of  duty  ;  for  "  faithful 
are  the  wounds  of  a  friend."  He  certainly  is  not  my 
truest  friend  who  suffers  me  to  possess  some  marked 
defect  of  character  without  even  suggesting  that  he 
perceives  it.  He  is  my  best  friend  in  the  social  re- 
lations of  life  who  seeks  my  good  in  reminding  me 
of  my  errors.  These  are  sentiments  which  are 
neither  new  nor  strange  to  persons  united  by  the  ties 


MUTUAL    CHRISTIAN    FAITHFULNESS.  207 

of  worldly  friendship ;  their  hearts  approve  them. 
Surely,  then,  in  the  church  of  Christ  all  ought  to  be 
Christian  friends  as  kind  and  true.  Here  it  ought 
to  be  as  rich  a  boon  to  have  one  faithful  associate  at 
least,  who  will  not  fail  to  remind  us  of  stains  seen 
upon  our  Christian  characters.  Influenced  by  such 
sentiments  and  united  by  such  ties,  we  may  truly 
sing,  with  a  beautiful  harmony  of  profession  and 
practice,  that  familiar  hymn,  — 

"  How  sweet,  how  heavenly,  is  the  sight, 
When  those  that  love  the  Lord 
In  one  another's  peace  delight, 
And  thus  fulfil  his  word ! 

When  each  can  feel  a  brother's  sigh, 

And  with  him  bear  a  part ; 
When  sorrow  flows  from  eye  to  eye, 

And  joy  from  heart  to  heart; 

When,  free  from  envy,  scorn,  and  pride, 

Our  wishes  all  above, 
Each  can  his  brother's  failings  hide, 

And  show  a  brother's  love ; 

When  love,  in  one  delightful  stream, 

Through  every  bosom  flows, 
And  union  sweet,  and  dear  esteem, 

In  every  action  glows. 

Love  is  the  golden  chain  that  binds 

The  happy  souls  above ; 
And  he's  an  heir  of  heaven  that  finds 

His  bosom  glow  with  love." 


CHAPTER    XL 

CHRISTIAN  CONDUCT  IN  REGARD  TO  THE  FORE- 
GOING TESTED  BY  PRAYER. 

Prayer  in  the  Ball  Room.  —  Prayer  for  pernicious  Fiction.  —  For 
Card  Playing.  —  For  Theatre-going.  —  Itumscller's  Prayer.  —  May 
go  boldly  to  Mercy  Seat  with  innocent  Things.  —  Herein  Prayer  is 
a  marked  Test  of  Christiafi  Conduct.  —  The  Christian  should  not 
persevere  in  a  Course  of  Conduct  upon  which  he  cannot  invoke  the 
divine  Blessing.  —  The  Church  Member  neglecting  Public  Worship. 
—  The  Prayer-Meeting  Absentee.  —  The  Church-Meeting  Absen- 
tee. —  Absence  from  the  Lord's  Supper.  — Delinquencies  in  refusing 
to  pay  proportional  Part,  to  contribute  generously  for  Missionary 
Purposes,  and  Want  of  Fidelity,  all  tested.  —  Contradiction  be- 
tween Prayer  a?id  Practice  ;  why  1  —  Prayer  a  Test  of  Conduct  in 
regard  to  other  Things.  —  Appeal  to  Christian  Professors.  —  Con- 
clusion. 

A  young  man,  son  of  one  of  the  most  respectable 
and  wealthy  inhabitants  of  Pennsylvania,  was  con- 
verted to  Christ.  His  father  was  a  violent  opposer 
of  religion,  and  endeavored,  by  various  methods,  to 
banish  serious  impressions  from  his  mind,  but  in  vain. 
The  work  of  the  Holy  Ghost  could  not  be  undone. 
While  the  father  was  employing  every  means  to 
dissuade  his  son  from  serving  God,  a  ball  was  an- 

(208) 


CHRISTIAN    CONDUCT    TESTED    BY    PRAYER.       209 

nounced  in  the  village.  He  compelled  his  son  to 
attend.  The  merry  party  assembled  in  the  lighted 
hall.  Beauty,  wealth,  and  fashion  were  there ;  all 
that  was  gay  and  alluring  'of  the  world  was  there. 
Joy  beamed  in  every  countenance,  and  gladness 
swelled  in  every  heart.  The  young  convert  was 
urged  to  lead  the  dance.  As  the  happy  circle  took 
their  places  upon  the  floor,  and  the  cotillon  was 
about  to  commence,  the  young  man  lifted  his  eyes 
heavenward,  and  said,  "  Let  us  pray  !  "  The  as- 
sembly were  silent  with  astonishment ;  the  hall  be- 
came still  as  the  grave.  Prayer  in  the  ball  room 
was  a  strange  incongruity  to  all.  To  supplicate  the 
divine  blessing  upon  the  merry  dance  appeared  to 
the  most  worldly  a  bold  trifling  with  God  himself. 
Although  the  young  man  did  not  intend  to  invoke 
the  blessing  of  God  upon  the  dance,  but  upon  the 
souls  of  his  gay  companions,  yet  it  doubtless  seemed 
to  them  like  opening  the  ball  with  a  prayer.  The 
fact  shows  that  there  are  objects  which  we  cannot 
guiltlessly  commend  to  God  in  prayer,  and  places  in 
which  prayer  seems  a  dreadful  mockery.  The  truth 
may  be  variously  illustrated. 

A  Christian-  trader  is  engaged  in  scattering  abroad 
the  light,  pernicious  literature  of  the  age.  Thou- 
sands •  of  minds  have  been  fatally  poisoned  by  its 
contaminating  influence  ;  thousands  more  have  been 
unfitted  by  it  for  serious  thought.  It  has  often  nul- 
lified the  pungent  truths  of  the  gospel ;  it  has  been 
18* 


210   CHRISTIAN  CONDUCT  TESTED  BY  PRAYER. 

an  imposing  barrier  to  the  progress  of  the  church. 
Now,  can  he  invoke  the  divine  blessing  to  rest  upon 
his  pursuit  ?  Can  he  carry  contaminating  novels  in 
the  arms  of  his  prayer  to  the  mercy  seat?  Can  he 
ask  God  to  smile  upon  the  sale  of  books  which  mul- 
tiply the  enemies  of  religion  ?  He  dare  not  com- 
mend his  business  to  the  notice  of  God. 

It  is  a  winter's  evening,  and  there  is  an  innocent 
social  gathering  in  the  village.  The  church  and  the 
world  are  alike  represented.  None  are  there  for  the 
purpose  of  moral  wrong ;  and  the  moments  fly  apace, 
while  yet  nothing  occurs  to  alarm  the  Christian's 
conscience.  At  length  the  table  is  spread,  and  the 
worldly  begin  to  shuffle  the  painted  cards.  Shall 
the  disciple  of  Christ  participate  in  the  amusement  ? 
No  gamblers  are  there ;  the  game  is  all  for  pleas- 
ure ;  it  seems  innocent.  But  when  the  Christian 
regards  the  influence  and  tendency  of  such  amuse- 
ment, dare  he  invoke  the  divine  blessing  upon  it? 
Let  him  propose  to  pray,  and,  quick  as  thought,  the 
company  lose  their  relish  for  the  game. 

Send  the  theatre-going  disciple  to  his  closet.  The 
evening  has  arrived,  and  he  has  resolved  to  go.  He 
has  seen  the  naming  placard,  and  his  interest  is  all 
aroused  to  witness  the  play.  Can  he  cheerfully  and 
conscientiously  seek  the  favor  of  God  as  he  goes  to 
the  amusement  ?  Not  he.  The  thought  of  bowing 
before  the  Most  High,  to  seek  his  presence  as  he 
visits  such  a  place,  chills  his  very  soul.     He  may  go 


CHRISTIAN    CONDUCT    TESTED    BY    PRAYER.       211 

with  such  worlclliness  as  to  have  no  thought  of  God 
or  personal  responsibility ;  but  he  dare  not  go  thither 
from  his  closet.  A  gulf,  as  deep  and  wide  as  that 
which  yawns  between  Lazarus  and  Dives,  separates 
the  closet  from  the  theatre. 

,  How  is  it  with  the  vender  of  intoxicating  drinks  ? 
Sometimes  we  find  him  in  the  church  of  Christ. 
Does  he  dream  of  commending  his  destructive  pur- 
suit to  Almighty  God?  What  horror  would  seize 
our  souls  to  hear  him  supplicate  Jehovah  to  give 
him  success  in  his  misery-making  business — to  in- 
crease his  trade,  and  multiply  customers,  as  the 
means  of  a  livelihood !  For  such  an  object  it  is 
solemn  mockery  to  pray. 

The  above  examples  manifestly  involve  such  sin- 
fulness that  no  one  would  dispute  the  gross  impro- 
priety of  praying  for  their  success.  When  we  bring 
them  to  this  simple  but  pungent  test,  their  true  moral 
character  appears.  The  same  is  true  in  regard  to 
lesser  sins  and  improprieties,  as  we  shall  see  in  the 
progress  of  our  remarks. 

On  the  other  hand,  we  can  come  boldly  to  the 
throne  of  grace  with  every  pursuit  and  object  which 
has  the  approval  of  God  and  the  conscience.  The 
husbandman,  the  mechanic,  the  toiler  in  any  and 
every  honorable  vocation,  may  seek  the  divine  bless- 
ing, confident  that  God  will  smile  upon  his  faithful 
endeavors.  Indead,  they  are  not  only  privileged  to 
appear  before  God  for  guidance  and  grace,  but  it 


212   CHRISTIAN  CONDUCT  TESTED  BY  PRAYER. 

becomes  their  boimden  duty  to  seek  his  favor  in 
these  laudable  callings.  They  are  conscious  of 
doing  rightly,  and  know  that  God  approves  the  act. 
In  the  abandonment  of  every  sinful  course,  also, 
men  innocently  supplicate  for  divine  assistance. 
The  Christian  merchant  may  make  his  doings  a 
subject  of  prayer  when  he  commits  pernicious  books 
of  fiction  to  the  flames,  but  not  when  he  offers  them 
for  sale.  The  Christian  associate  may  pray  over  his 
deed  when  he  refuses  to  shuffle  the  cards  with 
worldly  companions,  but  not  when  he  joins  with 
them  in  the  amusement.  The  Christian  professor 
may  ask  with  boldness  for  the  help  of  God  when  he 
turns  his  back  upon  the  ball  room  and  theatre,  but 
not  when  he  participates  in  their  pleasures.  The 
vender  of  strong  drink  need  not  hesitate  to  implore 
the  benediction  of  Heaven  upon  his  determination  to 
abandon  his  calling,  but  not  upon  an  intention  to 
continue  it.  In  one  case  they  ask  for  what  is  agree- 
able to  the  divine  will ;  in  the  other,  for  what  is  op- 
posed to  it.  And  the  language  of  inspiration  is, 
"  And  this  is  the  confidence  that  we  have  in  him, 
that,  if  we  ask  any  thing  according  to  his  will,  he 
heareth  us."  Whatever  is  contrary  to  his  will  is 
sinful;  and  hence  it  is  the  soul  of  mockery  to  invoke 
the  blessing  of  God  upon  it.  Any  thing  which  we 
clearly  see  to  partake  of  sin,  for  that  reason  must  be 
excluded  from  the  subjects  of  prayer,  except  so  far 
as  we  supplicate  for  its  renovation  or  destruction. 


CHRISTIAN    CONDUCT    TESTED    BY    PRAYER.      213 

Indeed,  any  thing  of  a  doubtful  character  we  cannot 
make  a  subject  of  prayer,  only  so  far  as  relates  to 
being  guided  aright  concerning  it. 

In  this  light,  prayer  becomes  a  marked  test  of 
Christian  conduct.  There  are  various  principles 
and  truths  revealed  in  the  Scriptures  by  which 
Christian  conduct  may  be  tested.  There  is  also  the 
example  of  Christ  and  of  primitive  saints ;  but  no 
test  is  more  simple  and  satisfactory  than  that  of 
prayer.  This  applies  to  all  places  and  circum- 
stances, and  to  all  people,  old  or  young,  rich  or  poor, 
bond  or  free.  It  can  easily  be  applied  ;  and  its  ap- 
plication requires  no  nice  discrimination,  but  only  an 
active  conscience  and  a  pious  heart. 

Do  any  doubt  that  whatever  cannot  be  commend- 
ed to  God  in  prayer  is  sinful  ?  Have  we  not  seen 
above  that  we  may  pray  for  any  thing  which  is  "  ac- 
cording to  his  will"?  And  what  is  agreeable  to 
his  will  ?  Not  any  sinful  thing,  of  course ;  only  that 
which  is  pure,  lovely,  and  of  good  report.  Hence, 
when  a  professing  Christian  performs  an  act,  or  is 
engaged  in  a  pursuit,  or  desires  to  secure  an  object, 
which  he  shrinks  from  commending  to  the  notice  of 
God  in  prayer,  he  may  be  quite  assured  that  it  is  not 
according  to  the  divine  will,  and  is  therefore  sinful. 
It  is  enough  for  him  to  know  that  he  is  unwilling  to 
spread  it  out  before  God  in  all  its  relations  —  that 
he  fears  to  have  it  scrutinized  by  the  omniscient 
eye.     If  it  were  pure,  and  he  saw  it  to  be  such,  he 


214   CHRISTIAN  CONDUCT  TESTED  BY  PRAYER. 

would  delight  to  bear  it  to  the  mercy  seat,  and  sub- 
ject it  to  the  scrutiny  of  his  sin-hating  God. 

The  conscience  evidently  condemns  as  sinful 
whatever  the  believer  shrinks  from  laying  before 
God  in  prayer.  If  the  conscience  approves  a  sub- 
ject of  prayer,  there  is  no  hesitation.  The  greater 
assurance  the  Christian  has  that  God  beholds  it  in 
all  its  relations,  the  more  desirous  is  he  to  spread  it 
before  him.  We  are  accustomed  to  think  that  this 
inward  satisfaction  we  experience  in  performing  an 
act  is  the  approbation  of  conscience ;  and  if  this  be 
true,  must  we  not  decide  that  when  we  experience 
the  opposite,  as  we  do  in  the  thought  of  asking  God 
to  bless  an  unholy  thing,  it  is  the  condemning  voice 
of  conscience  ? 

It  is,  then,  enough  to  know  of  a  contemplated 
subject  of  prayer  that  God  and  the  enlightened  con- 
science disapprove  of  it ;  this  is  sufficient  to  brand 
it  as  wicked.  Hence  the  principle  which  we  ad- 
vance as  the  test  of  Christian  conduct ;  viz.,  the 
Christian  ought  not  to  persevere  in  a  course 
of  conduct  upon  which  he  cannot  innocently 
supplicate  the  divine  blessing. 

To  this  test  let  us  bring  the  principal  delinquen- 
cies of  church  members  as  discussed  in  the  forego- 
ing. The  Christian  reader  may  not  be  fully  satisfied 
that  such  delinquencies  as  have  been  exposed  are 
particularly  offensive  to  God.  He  may  doubt  wheth- 
er they  partake  of  a  sinful  character  at  all.     The 


CHRISTIAN    CONDUCT    TESTED    BY   PRAYER.       215 

truth  may  be  easily  ascertained  by  bringing  them  to 
the  test  of  prayer.  If  a  professing  Christian  can 
seek  the  blessing  of  God  upon  any  one  of  the  fore- 
going offences  which  may  be  laid  to  his  charge, 
then,  indeed,  he  may  congratulate  himself  upon  his 
freedom  from  sin  in  that  particular ;  but  if  he  shrinks 
from  commending  his  course  to  God,  and  is  rather 
disposed  to  continue  his  faults  without  seeking 
divine  direction  in  relation  to  it,  he  may  rest  as- 
sured that  it  is  not  free  from  sin. 

First,  then,  bring  to  the  trial  the  church  member 
who  is  a  neglecter  of  public  worship.  He  attends 
only  a  part  of  the  day  on  each  Sabbath,  neglecting 
the  other  service  without  a  reasonable  excuse.  He 
excuses  himself  from  worship  at  all  on  stormy  Sab- 
baths. Slight  hinderances  at  any  time  prevent  his 
attendance ;  or,  if  he  constantly  visits  the  place  of 
public  worship,  perhaps  he  is  listless  and  inatten- 
tive, and  so  demeans  himself,  that,  if  all  the  congre- 
gation should  copy  his  example,  the  scene  in  the 
sanctuary  would  be  intolerable.  Now,  tell  me,  err- 
ing professor,  whoever  you  are,  have  you  ever  im- 
plored God  to  smile  upon  such  a  course  ?  When 
you  neglected  the  house  of  worship  without  a  suffi- 
cient reason,  did  you  spread  your  conduct  before 
^:he  Lord  ?  Did  you  do  this  when  you  sat  listless 
during  the  services  of  the  Lord's  house  ?  No,  no,  I 
hear  you  say ;  and  I  am  not  surprised.  You  would 
not  dare  to  do  it ;  your  conscience  would  pierce  you 


216       CHRISTIAN    CONDUCT    TESTED    BY    PRAYER. 

through  with  many  arrows,  and  you  would  well  nigh 
fear  the  descent  of  a  bolt  of  divine  wrath.  You 
would  not  insult  Jehovah  by  seeking  his  blessing 
upon  one  of  the  delinquencies  named  concerning 
public  worship.  What!  ask  God  to  bless  you  in 
the  needless  neglect  of  his  worship — in  undevout 
demeanor  in  his  courts  —  in  any  act  inconsistent 
with  the  spirit  of  true  devotion !  No,  fellow-disci- 
ple ;  bring  the  matter  to  tins  decisive  test,  and  duty 
becomes  manifest. 

The  prayer-meeting  absentee  !  —  how  stands  the 
account  with  him  ?  We  mean  the  absentee  whose 
habit  is  not  to  attend  the  social  meeting,  and  that, 
too,  for  no  good  reason.  Perhaps  he  is  at  the  shops 
or  stores,  or  on  a  friendly  visit  to  a  neighbor's  family, 
or  at  some  pleasure  gathering,  when  the  hour  for  the 
meeting  arrives.  Suppose  he  could  be  persuaded  to 
seek  the  mind  of  God  at  the  throne  of  grace  con- 
cerning his  conduct ;  in  what  language  can  he 
present  his  request  ?  Can  he  find  words  suited  to 
his  case  ?  Yes,  he  may ;  for  even  sin  does  not  lack 
in  phraseology.  "  Lord,  my  heart  does  not  incline 
me  to  go  to  the  place  of  prayer.  I  pray  thee  have 
me  excused.  Bless  me  in  neglecting  this  means  of 
grace.  Go  with  me  to  the  store  and  pleasure  circle. 
There  keep  my  heart  from  folly  and  my  lips  from 
speaking  guile."  Words  are  not  wanting  to  express 
his  real  desires  to  God ;  but  then,  they  falter  on  his 
tongue.     His  heart  chills,  and  his  soul  shudders,  and 


CHRISTIAN    CONDUCT    TESTED    BY    PRAYER.       217 

his  conscience  upbraids  as  lie  thinks  to  utter  them ; 
nay,  for  the  world  he  would  not  lift  his  eyes  heaven- 
ward with  such  a  petition  in  his  heart.  His  neglect, 
in  the  view  of  prayer,  has  not  a  redeeming  quality. 
If  his  soul  were  ever  goaded  by  remorse  for  his 
sins,  such  a  prayer  would  increase  it  a  thousand 
fold. 

We  have  considered  the  importance  of  the  church 
meeting  as  an  agency  of  performing  the  necessary 
business  of  the  church.  We  have  seen  what  sad 
consequences  may  result  from  so  great  neglect  of  its 
claims  as  obtain  at  present,  and  how  clearly  it  is 
the  duty  of  professing  Christians  to  give  it  their 
cordial  support ;  yet  here  is  one  who  regards  such 
meetings  extremely  dry  and  uninteresting  —  too 
much  so  to  elicit  his  attendance.  He,  moreover, 
feels  that  no  particular  responsibility  rests  upon 
himself  in  regard  to  the  transaction  of  church  busi- 
ness; or,  if  he  acknowledges  his  responsibility,  he  is 
disposed  to  elude  it,  and  leave  the  work  to  be  done 
by  others.  Is  his  course  just  and  Christian?  If  so, 
he  can  pray  that  God  may  bless  him  in  it.  He  can 
commend  it  to  his  notice  in  solemn  supplication, 
morning  and  evening,  and  at  all  times  in  the  day, 
sure  that  divine  favor  will  be  added.  But  if  he  be 
not  acting  the  Christian  part,  it  is  presumption  to 
seek  God's  blessing  ;  God  will  hold  him  in  derision 
as  he  presents  such  a  request.  How,  then,  does  he 
feel  ?  Has  he  ever  been  to  the  Hearer  of  prayer 
19 


218   CHRISTIAN  CONDUCT  TESTED  BY  PRAYER. 

with  his  conduct  ?  Dare  he  go  and  tell  his  Master 
that  he  does  not  intend  to  share  the  responsibility 
of  church  action,  and  ask  him  to  bless  him  in  his 
resolve  ?  If  not,  how  can  he  continue  in  such  neg- 
lect without  experiencing  pungent  remorse  ?  What 
opiate  can  he  apply  to  his  conscience  to  silence  its 
upbraidings  ? 

There  is  also  the  Lord's  supper  and  its  preparatory 
service.  Important  and  solemn  season  !  How  many 
saints  have  renewed  their  strength  at  this  feast  of 
love,  and  gone  forth  to  be  better  champions  of  truth 
in  the  conflicts  of  life  !  Instituted  as  a  remem- 
brancer of  redeeming  love,  how  sacred  its  obser- 
vance is  regarded  by  the  divine  Master !  And  yet 
this  ordinance  is  not  without  its  neglecters.  Here 
and  there  is  one  who  feels  at  liberty  to  neglect  the 
communion  season  at  his  pleasure,  in  the  face  of  the 
Savior's  command,  "  This  do  in  remembrance  of 
me."  Neither  does  he  regard  it  important  to  "  ex- 
amine himself"  and  make  preparation  for  the  ac- 
ceptable celebration  of  this  ordinance.  He  comes 
to  the  table  of  the  Lord  with  much  the  same  want 
of  spirituality  that  he  attends  upon  any  other  ser- 
vice. How  does  God  regard  his  course  ?  The  reply 
may  be  given  in  the  fact  that  his  soul  would  be 
seized  with  fearful  apprehensions  if  he  should  in- 
voke divine  assistance  in  his  delinquency.  No  ar- 
gument or  persuasion  could  induce  him  to  spread 
out  his  conduct  before  God,  unless  it  were  to  seek 


CHRISTIAN    CONDUCT    TESTED    BY   PRAYER.       219 

forgiveness  with  tears  of  penitence  and  a  broken 
heart.  When  he  views  his  course  in  the  light  of 
prayer,  its  guilt  flashes  over  his  soul,  and  his  cry 
becomes,  "  God  be  merciful  to  me,  a  sinner  ! "  No 
professed  follower  of  Christ  can  ask  God  to  bless 
him  in  unnecessary  disregard  of  the  Lord's  supper 
and  preparation  for  it. 

Test  the  error  of  the  Christian  professor  in  re- 
spect to  defraying  the  expense  of  supporting  the 
gospel.  The  church  member  is  not  wanting,  as  we 
have  seen,  who  refuses  to  pay  his  proportional  part 
of  parish  expenses.  The  very  consistent  and  right- 
eous rule,  that  each  one  should  pay  according  to  his 
ability,  is  disregarded.  A  specific  sum  is  pledged  as 
the  extent  of  his  subscription,  without  regard  to  cir- 
cumstances or  the  peculiar  exigencies  of  the  case. 
In  every  such  instance,  provided  the  subscription  is 
less  than  the  person's  actual  proportion,  there  is 
guilt  when  an  examination  is  instituted  with  prayer. 
Every  believer  knows  that  it  is  unchristian  in  him 
to  refuse  to  bear  his  part  of  the  necessary  burden, 
leaving  it  to  be  borne  by  others  ;  at  least,  he 
learns  it  when  he  presents  the  matter  before  God. 
In  his  closet,  upon  his  knees,  there  is  but  one 
voice  sounding  in  his  ears ;  and  that  is  the  voice 
of  condemnation  for  his  neglect,  and  urgent  ap- 
peal to  renounce  his  sin.  Prayer  stigmatizes  the 
selfish  policy  which  lessens  one's  just  proportion, 
and  arouses  the  suppliant's  conscience  to  lash  him 


220   CHRISTIAN  CONDUCT  TESTED  BY  PRAYER. 

for  his  presumption  in  asking  God  to  bless  him  in 
his  niggardly  practice. 

In  the  ninth  chapter  we  described  the  delinquen- 
cies of  some  professors  in  regard  to  the  great  mis- 
sionary enterprise,  the  crowning  glory  of  the  pres- 
ent age.  And  now  I  ask  the  believer  to  bow 
with  me  at  the  throne  of  grace,  and  honestly  test 
the  controlling  spirit  of  his  life.  Come,  thou  pro- 
fessed follower  of  Christ,  to  this  solemn  tribunal, 
and  ask  God  to  scrutinize  your  missionary  spirit ; 
for  surely  a  Christian  will  not  shun  the  light  which 
may  fall  upon  his  conduct  from  the  eternal  throne. 
With  the  thought  of  six  hundred  millions  of  the  hu- 
man family  perishing  in  their  sins,  and  the  Macedo- 
nian cry  ringing  in  your  car  from  the  four  quarters 
of  the  globe,  come,  and  before  the  heart-searching 
God  let  us  test  your  self-denial  and  benevolence. 
Yea,  with  the  solemn  truth  which  you  profess  to 
believe  and  have  vowed  to  live,  that  your  influence, 
your  property,  and  your  all  belong  to  God,  —  with 
this  impressing  your  mind,  come  and  decide  upon 
the  right  or  wrong  of  your  course  respecting  a  dying 
world.  You  complain  that  so  many  calls  of  charity 
make  their  demands  upon  you ;  dare  you  ntter  the 
complaint  to  God  ?  Can  yon  conscientiously  com- 
mend any  other  spirit  to  his  notice  than  that  which 
rejoices  to  see  the  gates  of  benighted  nations  flung 
open  to  the  heralds  of  the  cross,  and  the  opportuni- 
ties of  saving  souls  multiplied  on  every  hand  ?    Your 


CHRISTIAN    CONDUCT    TESTED    BY    PRAYER.       221 

policy  is  not  how  much  you  can  possibly  give  ;  but 
how  little  you  can  give,  and  retain  your  reputation  as 
a  Christian.  What  terrors  would  seize  upon  your 
heart  should  you  implore  God  to  aid  you  in  deciding 
how  little  you  can  give  !  You  expend  many  dollars  in 
journeying  every  year,  in  providing  sumptuous  en- 
tertainments for  social  parties,  in  rich  and  costly  ap- 
parel, and  then  refuse  the  collector,  or  put  him  off 
with  a  pittance,  because  your  expenses  are  so  large. 
Dare  you  make  such  a  practice  the  subject  of  prayer, 
and  seek  divine  favor  upon  it  ?  In  case  your  income 
is  diminished,  you  curtail  your  contributions  before 
you  do  your  extravagant  expenses.  Can  you  pray 
God  to  succeed  such  a  course  ?  You  increase  your 
family  expenses  as  your  wealth  multiplies,  while 
your  contributions  to  the  missionary  cause  remain 
the  same.  Would  it  not  insult  Jehovah  to  ask  him  to 
prosper  you  in  this  ?  In  short,  you  have  little  concern 
for  a  world  ,lying  in  wickedness,  never  give  unless 
appealed  to,  are  satisfied  if  no  collection  is  taken, 
and  seldom  think  or  pray  for  the  heathen.  Go  to 
the  mercy  seat  with  such  a  spirit  if  you  dare,  to  seek 
the  blessing  of  God  upon  it !  The  heavens  would 
become  as  brass  over  your  head,  and  the  earth 
would  seem  vocal  with  the  cry  of  accusers,  and 
your  solemn  vows  load  you  with  reproaches.  We 
have  not  suggested  a  single  offence  concerning 
the  missionary  enterprise  which  prayer  does  not 
condemn.  No  professed  Christian,  not  even  the 
19* 


222   CHRISTIAN  CONDUCT  TESTED  BY  PRAYER. 

loosest  hypocrite,  dreams  of  imploring  divine  favoi 
upon  such  acts. 

We  have  seen  that  Christians  often  fail  to  dis- 
charge their  duties  in  relation  to  offenders  in  the 
church  —  that  personal  offences  are  trumpeted 
abroad  before  they  are  carried  to  the  guilty  party, 
according  to  the  direction  in  the  eighteenth  chapter 
of  Matthew.  What  Christian  would  presume  to 
seek  the  guidance  of  Heaven  in  thus  proclaiming 
abroad  a  brother's  fault  before  he  has  sought  a  set- 
tlement in  private  ?  It  is  only  upon  such  a  course 
as  is  specified  in  the  above-named  chapter  that 
we  should  think  to  implore  the  divine  blessing- 
Prayer  condemns  an  alienation  which  is  cherished 
without  the  effort  to  remove  it.  God  must  regard 
him  who  asks  his  favor  in  publishing  abroad  the 
faults  of  a  brother  before  he  is  privately  reproved 
and  entreated  as  more  sinful  and  presumptuous  than 
the  accused  himself. 

We  have  thus  applied  the  test  of  prayer  to  the 
principal  errors  of  professing  Christians  discussed 
hi  this  volume.  Those  which  we  have  passed 
over  are  less  marked  in  respect  to  sinfulness,  but 
are  still  of  such  a  character  that  no  person  would 
think  of  praying  for  divine  assistance  in  their  prac- 
tice. Believers  who  are  chargeable  with  such  de- 
linquencies as  have  been  exposed  may  be  wont  to 
pray  for  all  the  graces  that  constitute  eminent  spirit- 
ual mindedness  ;  but  they  never  allude  to  such  short- 


CHRISTIAN  CONDUCT  TESTED  BY  PRAYER.   223 

comings  unless  it  is  to  seek  forgiveness.  While 
living  in  the  neglect  of  public  worship,  the  prayer 
meeting,  the  Lord's  supper,  and  other  means  of 
grace,  they  may  still,  in  their  morning  and  evening 
devotions,  supplicate  for  more  love,  and  faith,  and 
zeal,  but  never  allude  to  the  above  irregularities. 
Their  prayers  and  their  practice  present  a  mournful 
contradiction,  and  show  how  hollow  and  heartless 
are  their  petitions  ;  all  of  which  vindicates  the  views 
presented  in  regard  to  this  pungent  test  of  Christian 
conduct ;  for,  with  all  their  insincerity  ancj,  hollow 
heartedness,  they  dare  not  ask  the  blessing  of  God 
upon  their  course  as  they  really  design  it  to  be,  —  a 
neglect  of  the  important  means  of  promoting  spirit- 
uality,—  but  simply  pray  that  the  Lord  would  make 
them  holy,  without  the  most  distant  allusion  to  their 
actual  inconsistencies.  They  may  offer  a  thousand 
excuses  for  their  neglect  to  their  brethren,  and 
even  be  ready  to  defend  their  course ;  but  at  the 
throne  of  grace  they  dare  not  allude  to  such  depart- 
ures except  in  the  language  of  the  weeping  penitent 
suing  for  mercy.  To  God  they  have  no  excuses  to 
oner  and  no  defence  to  institute. 

A  writer,  already  quoted,*  says,  in  relation  to  the 
prayers  of  Christian  disciples,  "  What  solemn  pro- 
fessions they  make  to  God!  what  ardent  desires 
they  express  !  what  numerous  blessings  they  seek  ! 

*  Rev.  J.  A.  James. 


224   CHRISTIAN  CONDUCT  TESTED  BY  PRAYER, 

what  strong  resolutions  they  form !  Judging  of  our- 
selves by  the  prayers  we  pour  forth  in  secret,  or  by 
each  other  by  the  utterances  we  hear  when  we  meet 
with  one  accord  to  make  our  common  supplication 
known,  we  may  very  properly  say,  '  What  manner 
of  persons  ought  we  to  be  ? '  If  we  so  pray,  how 
ought  we  to  live  ?  What  kind  of  people  must  we  be 
to  be  up  to  the  standard  of  our  prayers  ?  And  ought 
we  not,  in  some  measure  at  least,  to  reach  this 
standard  ?  Should  there  not  be  a  harmony,  a  con- 
sistency^  a  proportion,  between  our  practice  and  our 
prayers  ? "  And,  I  would  add,  there  is  only  one  way 
to  secure  that  harmony;  and  that  is,  by  forsaking 
these  evil  courses  of  conduct ;  for  we  can  never 
bring  the  standard  of  our  prayers  down,  down  to 
such  delinquencies.  He  who  is  chargeable  with 
the  offences  exposed  in  this  volume,  one  or  all 
of  them,  might  wish  he  could  supplicate  divine  re- 
gard upon  Ins  irregular  conduct,  that  hence  no  dis- 
crepancy between  his  prayers  and  practice  might 
exist ;  but  he  dare  not  take  such  guilt  upon  his  soul 
as  to  pervert  his  prayers  to  this  end ;  he  dare  not 
ask  God's  blessing  upon  his  life  as  it  actually  is. 
Therefore  it  is  that  his  prayers  are  vastly  in  advance 
of  his  practice. 

It  is  difficult  to  conceive  how  a  professed  follower 
of  Christ,  erring  in  the  manner  and  to  the  ex- 
tent described  in  this  volume,  can  frame  a  prayer 
that  will  not  reprove  and  scourge  him  far  more  than 


CHRISTIAN    CONDUCT    TESTED    BY    PRAYER.       2%5 

the  voice  of  the  living  rebuker.  It  seems  as  if  every 
sentence,  asking  for  guidance  and  a  better  heart,  for 
grace  and  a  holy  life,  must  awaken  a  sense  of  guilt 
in  his  soul  sufficient  to  silence  his  voice  or  make 
him  a  penitent.  It  seems  as  if  he  could  not  be 
blinded  to  the  strange  incongruity  that  exists  be- 
tween his  devotions  and  his  life,  nor  to  the  fact  that 
to  the  Hearer  of  prayer  his  supplications  are  but  un- 
meaning jargon.  "  To  be  insincere  in  our  talk  with 
our  fellow-creatures  —  to  ask  for  favors  we  do  not 
wish  to  obtain  —  to  solicit  an  interchange  of  offices 
we  do  not  covet  —  to  utter  compliments  we  do  not 
mean  —  to  acknowledge  obligations  we  do  not  feel 

—  to  lavish  praises  which  we  know  are  ill  deserved 

—  to  appear  anxious  for  friendship  which  we  do  not 
want  —  is  a  lamentable  and  criminal  inconsistency 
which  is  but  too  common  among  professors ;  but  how 
much  more  guilty  is  all  this  unmeaning  prattle  when 
addressed  to  the  holy  and  heart-searching  God  ! "  * 
Strange,  indeed,  the  delinquent  professor  does  not 
behold  it !  Strange  that  he  is  not  forced  back  into 
the  path  of  a  consistent  and  holy  life  ! 

We  shall  be  justified  in  a  slight  departure  from 
the  main  design  of  this  chapter  in  speaking  of  the 
doubts  which  believers  often  entertain  in  regard  to 
other  points  of  Christian  demeanor.  There  are 
moral  questions  of  a  more  difficult  nature  to  settle, 

*  Rev.  J.  A.  James. 


226   CHRISTIAN  CONDUCT  TESTED  BY  PRAYER. 

and  concerning  which  there  is  much  discussion  and 
various  sentiments  among  the  people  of  God.  They 
are  such  as  relate  to  worldly  connections,  amuse- 
ments, customs,  expediency,  and  general  conformity 
to  social  maxims.  The  Christian  is  often  in  doubt 
what  path  to  pursue,  what  duty  requires,  how  far  to 
go.  He  desires  to  act  rightly  and  for  the  honor  of 
Christ.  In  relation  to  these  and  kindred  points,  how 
shall  he  decide  ?  We  know  of  no  simpler  or  better 
test  than  prayer.  Let  him  present  the  subject  to 
God  for  wisdom  and  guidance  ;  and  if  his  supplica- 
tion is  dictated  by  a  proper  spirit,  Ins  doubts  will 
generally  be  removed.  At  any  rate,  he  will  become 
well  satisfied  that  he  cannot  safely  perform  a  doubt- 
ful act,  since  he  cannot  conscientiously  ask  God  to 
bless  him  in  so  doing.  If  such  perplexing  matters 
were  more  frequently  settled  in  the  closet,  there 
would  be  far  less  conformity  to  the  world. 

Here  let  the  Christian  professor  pause  and  com- 
mune a  while  with  his  own  heart.  Do  one  or  more 
of  the  delinquencies  discussed  mar  your  religious 
character  ?  As  you  have  read  these  pages  one  by 
one,  have  you  found  nothing  to  rebuke  any  part  of 
your  walk  and  conversation  ?  Has  there  been  no  place 
where  your  enlightened  conscience  has  said,  "  That 
means  me  "  ?  Can  you  bow  before  God,  and,  with 
no  misgivings,  pray  for  his  blessing  to  rest  upon  your 
whole  Christian  walk  ?  If  not,  if  any  of  the  fore- 
going irregularities  have  interrupted  the  consistency 


CHRISTIAN    CONDUCT    TESTED    BY    PRAYER.       227 

of  your  conduct  —  if  even  one  of  the  ordinances 
rises  up  to  proclaim  your  neglect  —  if  the  Church 
hath  aught  against  you  because  you  come  so  seldom 
to  her  solemn  feasts  —  I  conjure  you,  by  the  tender 
love  of  Christ  and  his  bleeding  cause,  to  remember 
your  covenant  vows,  and  return  to  your  first  love 
with  a  penitent  heart !  Let  not  the  sun  go  down 
upon  a  sin  that  drives  you  from  the  closet  and 
seals  your  lips  to  prayer.  Pursue  not  a  course, 
with  deliberate  resolve,  upon  which  you  are  afraid  to 
ask  the  Most  High  to  look  with  favor,  lest  you  trifle 
with  his  goodness  and  provoke  his  wrath.  Be  an 
active,  consistent,  watchful,  exemplary  follower  of 
the  Lamb ;  and  then  lift  up  your  head,  for  your  re- 
demption draweth  nigh. 

In  allusion  to  the  elevated  aim  and  spotless  puri- 
ty of  the  patriarchs,  prophets,  and  other  illustrious 
saints,  the  apostle  said,  "  God  is  mot  ashamed  to 
be  called  their  God."  They  so  conducted  that  he 
cheerfully  owned  and  blessed  them,  and  set  them 
forth  as  ensamples  to  the  world.  We  commend 
the  truth  to  such  churches  as  retain  the  foregoing 

SPOTS  IN  THEIE-  FEASTS  OF  CHARITY.  Is  NOT  GoD 
ASHAMED    TO    BE    CALLED  YOUR  GOD  ?        Ill    respect    to 

an  irregular  life  and  multiplied  neglects,  does  he 
delight  to  own  and  bless  you  ?  Take  the  consider- 
ation home  to  your "  hearts.  Ponder  it,  pray  over 
it ;  let  it  absorb  your  minds,  until  a  just  apprecia- 


228   CHRISTIAN  CONDUCT  TESTED  BY  PRAYER. 

tion  of  its  solemn  import  shall  arouse  you  to  be  jeal- 
ous of  your  Christian  honor,  and  lead  you  to  aim  for 
that  highest  praise  which  can  crown  your  exit  from 
the  world  — "  God  is  not  ashamed  to  be  called 
their  God  ! " 


APPENDIX. 


DUTY  TO  THE  MEMBERS  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

When  a  church  member  is  in  such  straitened  circum- 
stances that  he  must  toil  so  as  to  unfit  him  for  public  wor- 
ship on  the  Sabbath,  he  becomes  an  object  of  charity,  and 
should  be  assisted  by  his  brethren. 

Christian  duty  towards  the  "poor  of  the  church"  is  a 
subject  deserving  more  attention  than  is  generally  bestowed 
upon  it.  Many  churches  make  no  provision  for  needy 
widows  and  others  in  poverty  among  their  number.  It  is 
not  unusual  to  find  members  of  Christ's  flock  in  the  alms- 
house numbered  with  the."  town's  poor."  Formerly;  when 
it  was  the  custom  to  decide  the  maintenance  of  paupers 
by  a  public  auction,  poor  church  members  were  often  dis- 
posed of  in  the  same  way.  The  correct  view  of  Christian 
obligation,  in  relation  to  needy  brethren,  does  not  appear 
to  have  been  generally  regarded.  It  is  not  ordinarily  con- 
sistent with  brotherly  and  sisterly  devotion  to  allow  a  fel- 
20  (229) 


230  APPENDIX. 

low-Christian  to  be  supported  at  the  public  expense.  A 
needy  member  of  the  church  ought  not  to  be  sent  to  the 
almshouse  unless  it  is  in  extreme  circumstances ;  such, 
for  instance,  as  when  a  very  feeble  band  has  so  many 
of  their  number  to  aid  as  absolutely  to  demand  foreign 
assistance ;  and  even  then  I  am  not  certain  that  the  ex- 
ample of  the  primitive  Christians  does  not  make  it  the 
duty  of  wealthier  sister  churches  to  contribute  to  their  re- 
lief, instead  of  leaving  them  to  be  supported  by  the  town. 
Certainly  there  ought  to  be  in  every  church  such  a  bond 
of  attachment  and  fellowship  as  will  insure  a  prompt  and 
cheerful  contribution  to  the  wants  of  the  indigent  mem- 
bers, if  it  be  within  the  power  of  the  more  highly  pros- 
pered brethren.  This  is  honorable  to  religion  ;  this  accords 
with  the  example  of  the  primitive  churches,  which  made 
provisions  for  their  poor ;  #  and  this  alone  commends  itself 
to  the  conscience  as  the  only  Christian  course  to  be  pur- 
sued. 

B. 

UNCHRISTIAN   WAY  OF  EXPRESSING  OPPOSITION  TO  A 
PASTOR. 

Nothing  is  more  common  than  for  church  members  at 
variance  with  their  pastor  to  exhibit  their  hostility  in  the 
house  of  God  by  indifferent  airs  or  other  ways  of  express- 
ing manifest  dislike.  It  is  the  last  place  where  such  feel- 
ings ought  to  be  indulged,  yet  in  none  is  it  more  frequent- 
ly witnessed. 

In  nil  that  has  been  said  concerning  the  delinquencies 

*  Rom.  xv.  25,  2G  ;  1  Cor.  xvi.  1-3. 


APPENDIX.  231 

of  Christians  in  relation  to  public  worship,  it  has  been  sup- 
posed that  the  ministry  is  worthy  of  respect  and  confidence. 
This  may  not  always  be  true  j  still,  admitting  that  a  Chris- 
tian professdr  has  a  pastor  who  is  uninstructive  and  unin- 
teresting in  the  pulpit,  and  even  morally  delinquent  out  of 
it,  the  temple  of  God  is  not  the  place,  nor  the  Sabbath  the 
time,  for  him  to  express  dislike.  There  is  an  ecclesiasti- 
cal and  Christian  way  of  removing  such  a  pastor ;  or,  if 
this  be  impossible,  the  complainant  can  remove  his  rela- 
tion to  another  church.  So  long  as  he  continues  where  he 
is,  he  ought  to  conduct  reverently  in  the  house  of  worship, 
if  not  out  of  respect  to  his  pastor,  yet  out  of  respect  to  his 
God. 

c. 

PASTORS'  SALARIES  COMPARED  WITH  THOSE  OE  PER- 
SONS ENGAGED  IN  OTHER  PURSUITS. 

The  subject  of  ministers'  salaries  is  justly  exciting  some 
interest  at  the  present  time.  Many  churches  realize  that 
they  have  put  their  pastors  upon  too  small  allowance,  and 
are  now  nobly  coming  to  their  aid  by  increasing  their  sala- 
ries. The  Episcopal  denomination  report  that  the  average 
salary  of  their  pastors  does  not  exceed  four  hundred  dollars 
per  annum.  It  is  believed  that  the  average  salary  of  cler- 
gymen of  other  denominations  does  not  exceed  this 
amount.  The  laborers  in  many  manual  pursuits,  as  bon- 
net dressing  and  boot  making,  earn,  in  many  instances, 
five  hundred  dollars  annually,  and  even  more ;  and  that, 
too,  without  any  further  apprenticeship,  by  way  of  prepa- 
ration, than  the  time  of  a  few  weeks  or  months.  But 
clergymen,  after  a  preparation  of  ten  years,  in  which  time 


232  appendix. 

they  might  have  accumulated,  in  almost  any  tnechanical 
occupation,  several  hundred  dollars,  and  after  an  expense 
of  fifteen  hundred  dollars,  as  a  direct  outlay,  in  acquiring 
an  education,  even  by  the  practice  of  economy,  receive, 
upon  an  average,  only  the  small  salary  of  four  or  five 
hundred  dollars.  Then,  how  much  greater  are  their  neces- 
sary expenses  at  housekeeping  than  those  of  mechanics! 
In  how  many  ways  must  they  be  paying  out,  while  the 
common  laborer  is  accumulating!  Expenses  incident  to 
attending  associational  meetings,  ecclesiastical  councils, 
increase  of  library  from  year  to  year,  subscriptions  for 
many  publications,  without  which  he  is  not  a  pastor  for 
the  times,  extensive  correspondence,  and  many  other 
items,  —  these  present  a  view  of  the  annual  expenses  of 
a  minister  beyond  what  is  incidental  to  manual  pursuits. 
Consider,  too,  that  many  ministers  are  receiving  six  hun- 
dred dollars  salary  when  they  might  receive  twice  that 
amount  in  some  other  employment.  We  might  name  a 
minister  who  has  had  the  opportunity,  within  a  few  weeks, 
of  engaging  in  another  pursuit  with  twice  the  salary  he  is 
now  receiving.  True,  salaries  are  larger  now  than  they 
were  fifty  years  ago ;  but  they  have  not  increased  in  the 
same  ratio  with  expense  of  living  or  the  salaries  of  other 
men.  Then  the  young  man  was  fortunate  to  receive  one 
hundred  dollars  annually  ;  now,  in  various  pursuits,  he  re- 
ceives from  three  to  five  hundred.  Then  the  accomplished 
clerk  received  but  a  few  hundred  dollars;  now  fifteen  hun- 
dred and  even  two  and  three  thousand  dollars  is  frequently 
his  compensation.  The  salaries  of  ministers  have  not 
increased  in  this  proportion ;  hence  it  is  proper  that  this 
subject  should  be  agitated  in  our  churches.  Instead  of 
paying  the  pastor  as  small  a  salary  as  can  be  done  con- 
sistently, it  should  be  so  generous  that  he  can  add  to  his 


APPENDIX.  233 

library  from  year  to  year,  "  lay  by  something  for  a  rainy 
day/'  and  not  be  obliged  to  plan  and  be  solicitous  about 
u  making  his  ends  meet 7;  from  quarter  to  quarter.  It  is  an 
encouraging  sign  of  the  times  that  this  subject  is  receiving 
the  attention  of  religious  societies  and  that  many  are  in- 
creasing the  pastor's  wages. 

-Reference  is  had  above  to  the  expenses  incident  to 
attendance  upon  ecclesiastical  councils.  A  few  churches 
have  adopted  the  plan  of  defraying  the  expenses  of  the 
pastor  and  delegate  on  such  occasions.  All  churches 
ought  to  imitate  the  good  example.  Perhaps,  however, 
it  would  be  more  proper  and  just  for  the  church  calling 
the  council  to  pay  all  its  expenses.  Sometimes  pastors 
are  invited  to  attend  such  bodies  at  a  distance,  and  fre- 
quently they  are  obliged  to  decline  because  their  limited 
salary  will  not  admit  of  the  expense.  The  cost  of  attend- 
ing a  single  council  is  small ;  but  the  aggregate  expense 
of  attending  the  hundreds,  which  some  pastors  do  in  the 
course  of  their  ministry,  amounts  to  enough  to  purchase  a 
valuable  library  or  a  comfortable  homestead. 


D. 


THE  CHUECH  SHOULD  LEAD,  AND  THE  PARISH 
FOLLOW. 

The  parish  ought  to  know  its  place  and  keep  it.  It  is 
not  its  province  to  dictate  in  religious  matters,  but  only  in 
respect  to  temporalities.  Yet  there  have  been  instances  of 
such  usurpation  of  religious  rights  on^the  part  of  the  parish 
as  to  extend  a  "  call ;;  to  a  minister  before  any  action  of  the 
church.  This  is  usurpation  outright.  The  Church  is  ar- 
20* 


234  APPENDIX. 

biter  in  all  matters  pertaining  to  her  welfare.  She  never 
delegates  this  prerogative  to  the  parish.  She  simply  says, 
tc  I  should  be  glad  of  your  cooperation  in  supporting  the 
means  of  grace,  and  will  thank  you  for  it.  You  may  ad- 
vise in  matters  of  temporal  concern,  and  in  the  settlement 
of  a  pastor  I  will  gratefully  receive  your  approval;  but 
cannot  transfer  to  you  the  responsibilities  of  my  position 
as  sole  arbiter  of  the  gospel's  earthly  interest."  And  every 
reasonable  person  will  concede  that  the  ground  of  this  au- 
thority is  just;  viz.,  Christians  only  are  qualified  to  judge 
of  the  theology  and  piety  of  the  candidate.  True,  a  wise 
church  will  not  settle  a  pastor  in  opposition  to  the  wishes 
of  a  majority  of  the  parish ;  and  often  many  Christians  set 
aside  their  own  feelings  about  the  fitness  or  unfitness  of 
the  candidate,  and  consent  to  his  settlement  or  rejection 
because  of  the  unanimous  decision  of  the  parish.  But  the 
truth  should  never  be  concealed,  that  the  church  is  prior 
in  respect  to  claim,  and  superior  in  respect  to  authority. 
She  should  always  act  first,  impressed  with  her  solemn 
obligations,  and  then  invite  the  parish  to  cooperate.  She 
should  lead,  and  the  parish  follow. 

E. 

SYSTEM  OF  TAXATION  TO  SUPPORT  THE  GOSPEL. 

We  would  not  be  understood  to  mean  that  the  system 
of  taxation  is  wrong.  Indeed,  a  tax  may  be  voluntary  as 
the  unanimous  decision  of  the  parish  makes  it  so  ;  still  we 
employ  the  phrase,  « voluntary  system,"  in  the  popular 
sense,  the  opposite  of  taxation.  We  mean  to  say  that 
the  primitive  churches  supported  the  means  of  grace 
by  voluntary  contributions  instead  of  assessments.     It  is 


APPENDIX.  235 

not  asserted  or  denied  that  the  change  wrought  in  the 
circumstances  of  the  church;  from  that  day  to  this,  may 
now  render  the  taxing  system  best  for  the  cause  of  Christ. 
It  is  plain  that,  without  it,  there  are  some  in  almost  every 
church  who  would  not  pay  their  proportional  part.  Rea- 
sons may  be  urged  in  favor  both  of  the  voluntary  and  tax- 
ing methods  •  but  it  is  not  the  design  of  this  volume  to 
discuss  them. 

The  attention  of  some  churches  has  recently  been  di- 
rected to  the  following  important  considerations.  Among 
their  number  are-  widows  possessing  more  or  less  property, 
and  maidens  accumulating  money  faster  than  many  a  poor 
Christian  father  can,  with  his  numerous  family  to  support ; 
yet  it  has  not  been  the  custom  to  ask  them  to  contribute 
for  the  support  of  the  gospel.  The  indigent  father,  with  a 
half  dozen  children  to  feed  and  clothe,  is  expected  to  do 
his  part;  while  such  females,  abundantly  more  able  to 
assist,  are  not  held  responsible.  Here  is  evidently  a  sub- 
ject demanding  attention.  If  there  is  property  in  the  hands 
of  the  female  members  of  the  church,  there  is  no  reason, 
ordinarily,  why  it  should  not  be  accounted  as  the  prop- 
erty of  males  in  regard  to  supporting  the  means  of  grace. 

Since  writing  the  above,  our  attention  has  been  called  to 
the  following  fact.  Two  young  men,  about  the  same  age, 
and  engaged  in  the  same  pursuit,  and  receiving  the  same 
wages  daily,  are  members  of  the  same  church.  One  of 
them  is  married,  and  has  children  to  support ;  yet  his  sub- 
scription for  the  support  of  the  gospel  is  four  times  as  large 
as  that  of  the  unmarried  young  man.  Now,  it  is  evident 
that  a  young-man  without  a  family  can  accumulate  money 
faster  than  he  who  is  a  husband  and  father  j  and,  if  so,  his 
contributions  —  other  things  being  equal — ought  to  be 
larger  j  but  this  is  not  generally  the  case  ;  and  Christian 


236  APPENDIX. 

young  men,  unmarried,  and  receiving  as  large  wages  as 
others,  give  far  less  than  those  who  are  the  heads  of  fami- 
lies. Indeed,  they  are  not  expected  to  contribute  as  lib- 
erally. The  above  incident  is  a  fair  illustration  of  a  gen- 
eral fact.  It  is  a  matter  deserving  attention,  and,  if  possi- 
ble, correction. 


IS   THE  REFUSAL  OF  A  CHURCH  MEMBER  TO  RAY  HIS 
PROPORTIONAL  PART  A  DISCIPLINABLE  OFFENCE  ? 

In  this  connection,  the  question  may  arise,  Is  the  refusal 
of  a  church  member  to  pay  his  "  proportional  part w  a  dis- 
ciplinable offence'?  In  many  churches  it  has  been  treated 
as  such,  while  in  others  it  has  been  adjudged  censura- 
ble only.  The  reply  lies  in  a  nutshell.  No  act  is  disci- 
plinable unless  it  violates  the  covenant.  Is,  then,  the 
refusal  of  a  professed  Christian  to  pay  his  u  proportional 
part n  of  the  expenses  a  breach  of  his  covenant  obligations  ? 
It  surely  is ;  for,  if  a  person  covenants  to  do  any  thing 
when  he  enters  the  church,  does  he  not  covenant  to  support 
the  gospel  according  to  his  ability  ?  And  more ;  does  he 
not  covenant  to  support  the  gospel  in  the  way  adopted  by 
the  church  at  the  time  of  his  admission  ?  Then  his  refusal 
violates  his  covenant,  and  he  is  a  proper  subject  of  disci- 
pline. 

G. 

PLEA  THAT   SABBATH   SCHOOLS   WERE  ORIGINALLY  DE- 
SIGNED FOR  THE  POOR  CONSIDERED. 

Since  the  original  design  of  the  Sabbath  school  was  to 
furnish  religious  instruction   solely  to  neglected  children, 


APPENDIX.  237 

it  may  be  urged  that  the  members  of  the  church,  with  their 
households  enjoying  religious  instruction  at  the  fireside 
cannot  be  expected  to  sustain  this  institution  by  their  pres- 
ence and  efforts ;  but  this  plea  cannot  stand  at  the  present 
day.  Although  the  enterprise  was  commenced  with  refer- 
ence to  the  instruction  of  the  destitute,  yet  experience  has 
proved  it  to  be  indispensable  to  all  the  children,  and,  in- 
deed, to  all  the  members  of  society.  The  time  has  come 
when  the  withdrawal  of  intelligent  religious  families  from 
the  Sabbath  school  would  utterly  destroy  it.  Only  let  it 
be  known  and  seen,  at  the  present  day,  that  the  poor  and 
morally  neglected  alone  are  expected  to  be  members,  and 
*  it  would  repel  a  large  part  of  the  class  it  is  designed  to 
benefit.  To  make  the  institution  popular  and  flourishing, 
all  classes  and  conditions  of  men  must  cooperate  in  sus- 
taining it.  The  idea  of  social  and  moral  distinctions  must 
be  discarded  as  much  as  possible. 


H. 

EXAMPLES  OF  MATERNAL  INFLUENCES  AMONG  THE 
LEARNED. 

Lord  Bacon  was  wont  to  speak  of  the  intellectual  and 
moral  education  of  his  childhood,  by  his  excellent  mother, 
in  terms  of  profound  gratitude ;  and,  to  testify  his  apprecia- 
tion of  her  moulding  influence  in  the  formation  of  his  char- 
acter, he  requested  that  he  might  be  buried  with  her  at  St. 
MichaeFs. 

The  distinguished  German  philosopher,  Kant,  says,  a  I 
shall  never  forget  that  it  was  my  mother  who  caused  the 
good  which  is  in  my  soul  to  fructify." 


238  appendix. 

Dr.  Samuel  Johnson  was  no  less  sensible  of  his  obliga- 
tions to  maternal  fidelity,  and  found  great  deligh*in  sup- 
porting his  Ynother,  although  he  was  extremely  poor  him- 
self. He  sold  his  Rasselas  for  the  paltry  sum  of  fifteen 
pounds  to  defray  the  expense  of  her  last  sickuess  and 
funeral. 

I. 

MARKED   EXAMPLE  OF  MATERNAL  INFLUENCE  IN 
HUMBLE  LIFE. 

Arvine  relates  that?  in  the  vicinity  of  Philadelphia,  there 
resided  a  mother  distinguished  for  her  success  in  the  re- ' 
ligious  education  of  her  children.  Early  in  life  they  all 
became  hopefully  pious.  A  clergyman  visited  her  in 
order  to  learn  the  secret  of  her  success.  To  his  interro- 
gations the  woman  replied,  "  While  my  children  were  in- 
fants on  my  lap,  as  I  washed  them,  I  raised  my  heart  to 
God,  that  he  would  wash  them  in  that  blood  which 
cleanseth  from  all  sin.  As  I  clothed  them  in  the  morn- 
ing, I  asked  my  heavenly  Father  to  clothe  them  with  the 
robe  of  Christ's  righteousness.  As  I  provided  them  food,  I 
prayed  that  God  would  feed  their  souls  with  the  bread  of 
heaven  and  give  them  to  drink  of  the  water  of  life.  When 
I  have  prepared  them  for  the  house  of  God,  I  have  pleaded 
that  their  bodies  might  be  fit  temples  for  the  Holy  Ghost 
to  dwell  in.  When  they  left  me  for  the  weekday  school, 
I  followed  their  infant  footsteps  with  a  prayer  that  their 
path  through  life  might  be  like  that  of  the  just,  which 
shineth  more  and  more  unto  the  perfect  day.  And  as  I 
committed  them  to  the  rest  of  night,  the  silent  breathing 
of  my  soul  has  been;  that  their  heavenly  Father  would 


APPENDIX.  239 

take  them  to  his  embrace  and  fold  them  in  his  paternal 
arms." 


EXAMPLES  OF   SYSTEMATIC  BENEVOLENCE. 

A  wealthy  manufacturer,  belonging  to  the  Methodist  de- 
nomination, was  recently  called  upon  by  an  agent7  who 

remarked,  "  Mr. ,  are  you  not  wearied  by  the  repeated 

calls  of  agents  ?  n  The  benevolent  man  looked  up  with 
some  surprise,  and  replied,  in  substance,  u  By  no  means. 
It  is  a  great  convenience  to  me  ;  it  saves  me  time  and  ex- 
pense j  for,  if  they  did  not  call,  I  should  be  obliged  to  go, 
or  send,  to  the  offices  of  the  various  benevolent  societies." 
He  was  a  systematic  giver,  and  consequently  did  not 
tf  wait ;;  to  give,  and  would  carry  his  contributions  if  agents 
did  not  call  for  them. 

The  following,  from  the  American  Messenger,  is  a 
striking  illustration  of  the  same  truth :  — 

u  A  short  time  since,  the  Rev.  Mr.  A presented  to 

my  people  the  claims  of  one  of  our  great  benevolent  socie- 
ties, and  on  Monday  I  called  with  him  on  several  mem- 
bers of  the  congregation.  Entering  the  counting  room  of 
a  merchant,  the  following  interview,  in  substance,  oc- 
curred :  — 

Mr.  A.  —  Good  morning,  Mr.  B .     Our  openings  for 

usefulness  are  multiplying,  and  all  that  the  churches  will 
intrust  to  us  we  can  most  profitably  employ  on  the  field 
of  our  labors. 

Mr.  B.  —  I  am  always  glad  to  see  you,  Mr.  A ,  and 

to  do  what  I  can  for  your  noble  society,  (handing  him  a 
liberal  donation.)  We  all  ought  to  feel  that  we  are  but 
stewards ,  and  be  diligent  in  doing  good  while  we  may. 


240  APPENDIX. 

Mr.  A.  —  Thank  you,  thank  you,  Mr.  B .    We  know 

you  are  a  steadfast  friend,  and  so  is  your  partner,  Mr. 
C .     Is  he  in,  this  morning  ? 

Mr.  B.  —  No,  sir ;  he  is  in  Europe.  He  was  unexpect- 
edly called  to  France  on  business,  and  sailed  in  the 
steamer  some  weeks  since,  to  be  absent  about  six  months. 

Mr.  A.  —  Then  I  suppose  we  shall  lose  his  subscription 
this  year. 

Mr.  B.  —  No,  sir.  One  of  the  last  things  he  did  before 
sailing  was,  to  request  me  tl  to  attend  to  his  charities  with 
the  same  care  as  to  his  other  business,  and  to  give,  for  him, 
to  the  various  objects  of  benevolence,  as  they  might  come 
before  our  church,  about  the  same  that  he  gave  last  year, 
or,  if  any  thing,  rather  more,  as  this  year  we  have  been 
prospered.'7  Do  you  remember  what  was  the  amount  of 
his  subscription  last  year  ? 

Mr.  A. —  One  hundred  dollars. 

Mr.  B.  —  Well,  here  is  a  check  for  one  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars,  which  is  about  what  I  think  he  would  give  if 
he  were  at  home. 

With  thanks  to  the  giver,  and  especially  to  Him  who 
had  prompted  to  the  gift,  the  agent  went  on  his  way,  wish- 
ing, 1.  That  all  would  feel  that  they  are  but  stewards.  2. 
That  all  would  consider  their  charities  a  part  of  their  busi- 
ness;  and  3.  That  all  would  give  to  the  great  objects  of 
'benevolence  systematically  and  on  principle,  whether  at 
home  or  abroad. 

The  late  Hon.  Amos  Lawrence  is  said  to  have  given 
away  more  than  half  a  million  of  dollars  during  his  life. 
On  his  pocket  book  was  written,  "  What  shall  it  profit  a 
man  if  he  gain  the  whole  world  and  lose  his  own  soul  ?  " 

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